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 disrupted with violence, or with irregular action; commotion.

   During a storm the sea is in agitation.

2. A disturbance of personal tranquillity; disturbance of someone's peace of mind.

   Synonym: 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.

   • 1856-1858, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip II:

     […] religious agitations […]

4. (archaic) Examination or consideration of a subject in controversy, or of a plan proposed for adoption; earnest discussion; debate.
   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], OCLC 228727523:

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

   • 1732, Jonathan Swift, The Advantages Proposed by Repealing the Sacramental Test

     […] 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 (nl) pl
• Esperanto: agitado, agitiĝo
• 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)

• Indonesian: agitasi (id)
• 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 (sv) c, hets (sv) c

a stirring; a disturbance of tranquility

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 攪動 (gaau² dong⁶), 搖動 (jiu⁴ dong⁶)

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

• Sanskrit: त्विष् (sa) f (tviṣ)
• Scottish Gaelic: mì-shuaimhneas m
• Spanish: inquietud (es) f

excitement of public feeling

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 煽動 (sin³ dong⁶), 鼓動 (gu² dong⁶)

• Czech: agitace (cs) f

• Polish: agitacja (pl) f
• Russian: агита́ция (ru) f (agitácija)
• Yiddish: אַגיטאַציע‎ f (agitatsye)

References

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

---

Danish

Noun

agitation c (singular definite agitationen, plural indefinite agitationer)

1. agitation

Declension

Declension of agitation

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	agitation	agitationen	agitationer	agitationerne
genitive	agitations	agitationens	agitationers	agitationernes

Further reading

• “agitation” in Den Danske Ordbog

---

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin agitatio. Surface analysis: agiter +‎ -ation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ʒi.ta.sjɔ̃/

• 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

Descendants

• → Romanian: agitație
• → Turkish: ajitasyon

Further reading

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