Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Moving rapidly or violently.
  • adjective Characterized by disorder, commotion, or unrest.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Disturbed; agitated; tumultuous; being in violent commotion: as, the turbulent ocean.
  • Restless; unquiet; refractory; disposed to insubordination and disorder; hence, violent; tumultuous; riotous; disorderly.
  • Producing commotion or agitation; inducing turbulence.
  • Synonyms and Obstreperous, uproarious, brawling; seditious, mutinous, revolutionary.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Disturbed; agitated; tumultuous; roused to violent commotion.
  • adjective Disposed to insubordination and disorder; restless; unquiet; refractory.
  • adjective Producing commotion; disturbing; exciting.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective violently disturbed or agitated; tempestuous, tumultuous
  • adjective being in, or causing, disturbance or unrest

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
  • adjective (of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin turbulentus, from turba, turmoil; see turbid.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin turbulentus, from turba ("disorder, tumult").

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Examples

  • Other times it is like what they call a turbulent bore or a rush of white water that goes in.

    CNN Transcript Dec 28, 2004 2004

  • His appeal came at the end of what he called a "turbulent" week for the banking industry after disgraced former Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin was stripped of his knighthood.

    The Independent - Frontpage RSS Feed 2012

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

  • Oil analyst Bright Simons points to other concerns, including possible security issues in turbulent West Africa.

    With Oil Set To Flow, Ghana Ponders The Future 2010

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

  • Finding a peaceful path to follow is possible even while living in turbulent Mexico City and in these turbulent times.

    Page 2 2010

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