agitation

See also: Agitation

English

Etymology

From French agitation, from Latin agitātiō (“movement, agitation”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ad͡ʒɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /æ.d͡ʒɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

agitation (countable and uncountable, plural agitations)

1. The act of agitating, or the state of being agitated; the state of being moved with violence, or with irregular action; commotion.

   After a storm the sea is in agitation.

2. A stirring up or arousing; disturbance of tranquillity; disturbance of mind which shows itself by physical excitement; perturbation.

   She causes great agitation within me.

3. Excitement of public feeling by discussion, appeals, etc.

   the antislavery agitation

   labor agitation

   After this conflict pro-independence agitation temporarily died down.

   • (Can we date this quote?) William H. Prescott:

     […] religious agitations […]

4. Examination or consideration of a subject in controversy, or of a plan proposed for adoption; earnest discussion; debate.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Roger L'Estrange:

     […] a logical agitation of the matter […]

   • (Can we date this quote?) Jonathan Swift:

     […] the project now in agitation […]

Synonyms

• emotion, commotion, excitement, trepidation, tremor, perturbation

Translations

act of agitating

• Bulgarian: вълнение (bg) (vǎlnenie), възбуда (bg) (vǎzbuda), бъркане (bǎrkane), агитация (bg) (agitacija)
• Dutch: opwinding (nl) f, agitatie (nl) f, troebelen pl
• Finnish: agitaatio (fi)
• French: agitation (fr) f
• German: Aufwühlung f, Agitation (de) f
• Greek: αναστάτωση (el) f (anastátosi), αναταραχή (el) f (anatarachí), αναβρασμός (el) m (anavrasmós)

• Latin: vibrātiō f
• Portuguese: agitação (pt) f
• Romanian: agitare (ro) f, agitație (ro) f
• Russian: волне́ние (ru) n (volnénije), возбужде́ние (ru) n (vozbuždénije), смяте́ние (ru) n (smjaténije)
• Spanish: agitación (es) f, desasosiego (es) m
• Swedish: uppvigling c, hets (sv) c

a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility

• Portuguese: agitação (pt) f
• Russian: волне́ние (ru) n (volnénije), возбужде́ние (ru) n (vozbuždénije), смяте́ние (ru) n (smjaténije), беспоко́йство (ru) n (bespokójstvo)

• Scottish Gaelic: mì-shuaimhneas m
• Spanish: inquietud (es) f

excitement of public feeling

• Czech: agitace (cs) f

• Russian: агитация (ru) f (agitacija)

References

• agitation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin agitatio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aʒitasjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

agitation f (plural agitations)

1. choppiness (of water), turbulence (in air), swaying (of branch etc.)
2. restlessness
3. bustle (of street, room etc.); activity
4. (nervous) agitation
5. (social) unrest

Further reading

• “agitation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).