Agency Dictionary

oscillation

nounPronunciation: /ˌɒs.ɪˈleɪ.ʃən/

What does “oscillation” mean?

A regular movement back and forth between two points or states. Figuratively, the alternation between two opposite positions, attitudes or forces.

Etymology

From French oscillation, from Latin oscillatio (a swinging), derived from oscillare (to swing, to rock back and forth), which is usually linked to oscillum (a small mask hung from trees to swing in the wind in Roman rustic ritual). The word entered scientific English through French and came to name any regular movement back and forth between two positions or states.

Usage note

In physics, oscillation names a periodic motion around a central point. In figurative use it describes any back-and-forth movement between positions, moods, or states of mind.

Synonyms

vibration
fluctuation
swing
pulsation
undulation

Word family

oscillate
oscillatory
oscilloscope
oscillator

Rhymes with

vibration
rotation
pulsation
translation
elation

Usage examples

It becomes necessary to consider the importance of the aspect of oscillation, for one cannot live solely on thought, and one cannot truly exist solely on action.
Writing.2 - Aphorisms

Concept

Act of ExistenceThe act of existence is the name the author of the Agency editorial gives, in his own philosophical draft, to existing as something one does and answers for, not…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Writing.2 - AphorismsSeptember 21, 2023Read the edition

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Also from these editions: terms

quotationnoun: A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
eppur si muoveother: An Italian phrase meaning and yet it moves. It is used to affirm that a fact remains true no matter who denies it.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
verbatimadjective: In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
clevernessnoun: The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
literary devicenoun: A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
collective consciousnessnoun: The set of beliefs, ideas and feelings shared by the members of a society, which exists beyond any single person. By extension, what a community knows and repeats in common.
Byproductnoun: A secondary, often unexpected result or incidental creation derived from an ongoing process or effort.
catalystnoun: A substance or factor that accelerates a chemical reaction or stimulates widespread systemic change without being consumed.
comfort zonenoun: The set of situations and habits in which a person feels safe and in control, without risk or anxiety. Leaving it is commonly described as a condition for learning and growth.
conciseadjective: Expressing comprehensive meaning clearly in few words, without superfluous or redundant phrasing.