vicissitude

noun vi·cis·si·tude \ və-ˈsi-sə-ˌtüd , vī- , -ˌtyüd \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of vicissitude

1 a : the quality or state of being changeable : mutability

b : natural change or mutation visible in nature or in human affairs

2 a : a favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance : a fluctuation of state or condition

the vicissitudes of daily life

b : a difficulty or hardship attendant on a way of life, a career, or a course of action and usually beyond one's control

c : alternating change : succession

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Recent Examples of vicissitude from the Web

The vicissitudes of the Middle East—not to mention American politics—have humbled wiser experts than us.

— daniel benaim, New Republic, "Trump’s Middle East Policy: The Good(ish), the Bad, and the Ugly," 19 Jan. 2018
To be concerned about consequences, one must be concerned about other people, especially those who are more vulnerable to the vicissitudes of daily life in early 20th century England.

— david wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stunning new ‘Howards End’ connects with social change," 4 Apr. 2018
In an unnamed country, a trio of homeless children of unspecified nationalities negotiates the vicissitudes of their imperiled circumstance with a mix of innocence, preternatural canniness and an empathy that transcends the limits of language.

— lisa russ spaar, New York Times, "A Trove of Continental Fiction Explores Loss," 5 Jan. 2018
Photo: Bridgeman Images Mr. Irwin, a novelist as well as a scholar of medieval Islam, traces the vicissitudes of Ibn Khaldun’s tumultuous career in a vivid narrative.

— eric ormsby, WSJ, "Why History Goes in Circles," 16 Mar. 2018
The reason for returning the dogs to a different form of captivity has to do, a little bit, with the vicissitudes of show business.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Shedd Aquarium bids adieu to its trained dogs. Yes, dogs.," 5 Mar. 2018
There is little evidence from the last few decades that a tax rate cut raised underlying growth in the U.S. or any other advanced economy anywhere near that amount, once the vicissitudes of the business cycle are factored out.

— greg ip, WSJ, "The Tenuous Logic Behind Republicans’ About-Face on Debt," 27 Sep. 2017
Aslan then turns to trace the vicissitudes of the conception of God in Israelite religion and its offspring, Judaism and Christianity, and Islam.

— jerome e. copulsky, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘God: A Human History,’ by Reza Aslan," 15 Dec. 2017
Instead, the vicissitudes of modern-day remembrance err helplessly between death and death by chocolate.

— yuliya komska, Smithsonian, "Inside the House of Zyklon B," 10 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vicissitude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Changes and vicissitude

"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better," wrote British theologian Richard Hooker in the 16th century. That observation may shed some light on vicissitude, a word that can refer simply to the fact of change, or to an instance of it, but that often refers specifically to hardship or difficulty brought about by change. To survive "the vicissitudes of life" is thus to survive life's ups and downs, with special emphasis on the downs. Vicissitude is a descendant of the Latin noun vicis, meaning "change" or "alternation," and it has been a part of the English language since the 16th century. In contemporary usage, it most often occurs in the plural.