ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fluctuate

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfɫəktʃəˌweɪt// UK //flˈʌktʃuːˌeɪt// fluc·tu·ate Academic Archaic

v. to change between different levels or amounts over a short period of time. You use this to describe things like prices, weather, or your mood.

v. to vary between different levels or states over a short period of time. Often describes economic indicators, weather patterns, or physiological processes.


SIMPLE

The price of gas fluctuates depending on the season.

CONTEXTUAL

The stock market fluctuates daily, making it difficult for investors to predict their returns with certainty.

COMPLEX

While the overall trend shows a steady increase in global temperatures, local weather patterns continue to fluctuate significantly from year to year due to complex oceanic currents.

Synonyms
Origin

First attested in the 1630'; borrowed from Latin flūctuātus, perfect passive participle of flūctuō (“(of the sea) to surge, swell; (of man) to waver, fluctuate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

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