turbulence

noun

tur·​bu·​lence ˈtər-byə-lən(t)s How to pronounce turbulence (audio)
: the quality or state of being turbulent: such as
a
: great commotion or agitation
emotional turbulence
b
: irregular atmospheric motion especially when characterized by up-and-down currents
c
: departure in a fluid from a smooth flow

Examples of turbulence in a Sentence

The plane hit quite a bit of turbulence during our flight. A period of turbulence preceded the riots.
Recent Examples on the Web Campaign turbulence Late campaign turbulence in two competitive races complicated two contests. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Single malt scotch managed to exceed the £2bn milestone in 2023 despite global economic turbulence and the sector showed growth despite contraction in the larger, blended part of the market. Mark Littler, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 This novel technology allows for a much smoother ride, even amid turbulence. Dan Sloat, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2024 During times of political strife and unease – war, climate change, economic turbulence (and of course, a pandemic) – people tend to question other institutions as well. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Passengers–and shareholders like us–may want to fasten their seat belts because, despite some early wins, there is possibly worse turbulence on the horizon and far tougher challenges still ahead. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024 About 40% of those facing eviction each year are children – some 2.9 million, according to a study co-authored by Nick Graetz at Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, who said research shows wide-ranging impacts of housing turbulence and eviction on children’s mental health and development. Jesse Bedayn and Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2024 Nina Dobrev experienced some surprise turbulence during a recent private jet ride — and her boyfriend Shaun White caught it all on camera! Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 In addition to those profit opportunities for Capital One, Discover would bring with it some challenges, including months of turbulence preceding this announcement. Emily Mason, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turbulence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of turbulence was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near turbulence

Cite this Entry

“Turbulence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turbulence. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

turbulence

noun
tur·​bu·​lence ˈtər-byə-lən(t)s How to pronounce turbulence (audio)
: the quality or state of being turbulent
especially : irregular atmospheric motion with up and down currents
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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