turbulence
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the shaky or bumpy movement you feel on a plane when the air is moving unevenly.
irregular atmospheric motion caused by eddies and vertical currents, resulting in the jolting of an aircraft.
Simple“The pilot asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts because of some light turbulence ahead.”
In context“The aircraft encountered severe clear-air turbulence over the mountains, causing several minutes of intense buffeting that startled the passengers.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the general phenomenon; countable when referring to specific instances.
Synonymsinstabilitybuffeting - 02 C1 Advanced
a state of confusion, violence, or lack of order in a situation or society.
a state of social, political, or emotional agitation characterized by conflict and lack of stability.
Simple“The country went through a period of political turbulence after the sudden election results.”
In context“Economists predicted a decade of market turbulence as global trade agreements were renegotiated under intense public scrutiny.”
UsageOften used in political or economic contexts to describe periods of change.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
the messy, swirling movement of a liquid or gas instead of a smooth flow.
fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity, contrasting with laminar flow.
Simple“The water showed a lot of turbulence as it crashed against the rocks in the river.”
In context“Engineers studied the turbulence created by the new wing design to ensure it would not compromise the fuel efficiency of the prototype.”
UsageUsed primarily in physics and engineering contexts.
“This is something which already happens routinely to avoid turbulence and bad weather so passengers are unlikely to notice.”
“The Golden Age of musicals ended in the turbulence of the 1960s.”
From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.