turbulence

noun

tur·​bu·​lence ˈtər-byə-lən(t)s 

: 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

Friends and family will often counsel against making such a weighty decision in the midst of emotional turbulence, not grasping that a profound sense of misalignment is what is feeding the turbulence in the first place. —James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

The fabrics utilize the same aerodynamic principles as a golf ball, whose dimpled surface causes a ball to fly further by using turbulence to reduce drag. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2025

Remarkably, one of the Air Force flights also had to turn around after getting beaten up by severe turbulence flying through Melissa. —Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

Your insides become weightless, like when a fast elevator suddenly stops, or a plane drops from turbulence. —Stephanie Land, Time, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing turbulence

• clear-air turbulence

Kids Definition

turbulence

noun

tur·​bu·​lence ˈtər-byə-lən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being turbulent

especially : irregular atmospheric motion with up and down currents