turbulence

B1 Topic:Aviation & Flight

US /ˈtɝ.bjə.ləns/ UK /ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/ See IPA manual

Freq #15633

Meanings

1

noun
Sudden, violent movements of the air that shake an aircraft during flight.

The plane hit some turbulence and the seatbelt signs came on.
2

noun
A period of great disorder, conflict, or sudden change.

The industrial revolution was a period of great turbulence.
3

noun
The unsteady, swirling movement of a liquid or gas.

Turbulence in the water made the small boat hard to steer.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a period of great disorder,... upheaval

Word family

Forms turbulences

Related forms turbidityturbulent

Etymology

From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence.

turbulence Middle English turbulentia la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Aviation & Flight Transportation

External links

# turbulence

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɝ.bjə.ləns/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/
**Frequency rank:** 15633

## Meanings
1. Sudden, violent movements of the air that shake an aircraft during flight.
2. A period of great disorder, conflict, or sudden change.
3. The unsteady, swirling movement of a liquid or gas.

## Examples
- The plane hit some turbulence and the seatbelt signs came on.
- The industrial revolution was a period of great turbulence.
- Turbulence in the water made the small boat hard to steer.

## Related Forms
- turbidity
- turbulent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: turbulence
- Root: turbulentia

## Etymology
From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence.

## AI Etymology
Turbulence is from Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence. The historical line also includes Middle English turbulence, la-lat turbulentia. In present-day use, it can mean sudden, violent movements of the air that shake an aircraft during flight, or a period of great disorder, conflict, or sudden change.

## Topics
- Aviation & Flight
- Transportation

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