turbulence
TUR-byuh-lunss
/ˈtɜːrbjələns/
Violent or unsteady movement of air or water, causing sudden bumping during a flight.
In travel contexts, refers specifically to sudden, irregular atmospheric air currents hitting an aircraft.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'turba' meaning crowd, turmoil, or confusion. It described wild, unorganized commotion before physical science adopted it for erratic fluid flows.
Word relationships
- instability: Instability is a general term, whereas turbulence describes chaotic, bumpy motion in fluids or air.
- calm: Calm describes peaceful, unruffled atmospheric or fluid conditions.
Commonly confused with
- vibration: Vibration comes from engines or mechanical parts; turbulence comes from external air currents.
Word family
- turbulent (adjective): Characterized by conflict, disorder, or atmospheric shaking.
Collocations
- severe turbulence
- unexpected turbulence
- clear-air turbulence
- encounter turbulence
Example sentences
- "The captain turned on the seatbelt sign as the aircraft encountered unexpected clear-air turbulence over the mountains." Inflight announcement
- "Despite the sudden turbulence during our descent, the pilot landed the plane smoothly." Travel description
Memory hook
Turbulence = Turmoil in the air currents. Air bumps in the sky.
When not to use
Do not use 'turbulence' to describe smooth, steady wind currents.
Fun facts
- Clear-air turbulence (CAT) cannot be detected by conventional weather radar because it occurs in cloudless sky.
Explore more words
Disorder, upheaval, tempest, chaos, Fluctuation, disturbance
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