What does "shifting" mean?

1. (constantly changing) changing often, especially in a way that makes something difficult to rely on. 2. (the act of moving) the act of moving something from one place to another. 3. (word order change) when parts of a sentence move to a different position than usual.

shifting

adj. · n.

US //ˈʃɪftɪŋ// UK //ʃˈɪftɪŋ// shift·ing

1 constantly changing (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

changing often, especially in a way that makes something difficult to rely on.

characterised by frequent change in position, direction, or nature; often implies instability or unreliability.

Example

The desert is a dangerous place because of the shifting sands.

Example

In the shifting political landscape of the late twentieth century, traditional alliances were frequently discarded in favour of pragmatic economic partnerships.
2 the act of moving (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of moving something from one place to another.

the process or act of changing the position or orientation of an object or concept.

Example

The constant shifting of furniture in the apartment above kept me awake.

Example

The gradual shifting of tectonic plates over millions of years resulted in the formation of the mountain range we see today.

Show 1 more senseShow fewer

3 word order change (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Linguistics

when parts of a sentence move to a different position than usual.

the phenomenon by which two or more constituents appearing on the same side of their common head exchange positions to obtain non-canonical order.

Example

The professor explained how shifting affects the meaning of the sentence.

Example

Heavy NP shifting allows long, complex noun phrases to move to the end of a clause, thereby improving the overall processing flow for the listener.
- reordering
- permutation