perturbation

noun

per·​tur·​ba·​tion ˌpər-tər-ˈbā-shən 

ˌpər-ˌtər-

1

: the action of perturbing : the state of being perturbed

2

: a disturbance of motion, course, arrangement, or state of equilibrium

especially : a disturbance of the regular and usually elliptical course of motion of a celestial body that is produced by some force additional to that which causes its regular motion

perturbational

ˌpər-tər-ˈbā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

ˌpər-ˌtər-

adjective

Synonyms

• agita
• agitation
• anxiety
• anxiousness
• apprehension
• apprehensiveness
• care
• concern
• concernment
• disquiet
• disquietude
• fear
• nervosity
• nervousness
• solicitude
• sweat
• unease
• uneasiness
• worry

Examples of perturbation in a Sentence

a perturbation in the planet's orbit

in her perturbation she kept calling her son, a freshman, to see if everything was all right at college

Recent Examples on the Web

The researchers realized that quakes sometimes didn’t leave telltale perturbations. —IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2021

Because of these perturbations, an object behind the lensing galaxy is magnified, although often in a somewhat warped way. —Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 19 Dec. 2023

Abrupt changes in demand signal, design shifts and funding perturbations make waterfront endeavors far more challenging. —Craig Hooper, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

Instead, the condition is often linked to environmental exposures, such as rural living, dust production, or nearby soil perturbation. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2024

Not according to MacLeod, who pointed out that how much of a perturbation occurs depends on the star-to-planet mass ratio. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 May 2023

By specifying exactly how perturbation theory works, Costello has created a basis upon which physicists and mathematicians can construct novel quantum field theories that satisfy the dictates of his perturbation approach. —Kevin Hartnett, Wired, 20 June 2021

Granting all perturbation and backsliding, generous lives had been lived on that fecund soil, and a generous spirit inhered in it. —Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 12 Oct. 2023

Such a direct comparison is particularly valuable because scientists believe that near-Earth asteroids hail from the main belt, having been kicked deeper into the solar system by past gravitational perturbations. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

perturbation

noun

per·​tur·​ba·​tion ˌpərt-ər-ˈbā-shən 

ˌpər-ˌtər-

1

: the action of perturbing

2

: the state of being perturbed

perturbational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective