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rotation

14 synonyms and 0 antonyms for rotation, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The action or process of turning around a centre or axis.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

gyration alternation whirl wheeling rota duty roster turn and turn about

How to use rotation

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

crop rotation in rotation starting rotation rotation of staff

Etymology

From Latin rotatio, built on rotare, "to revolve."

Full origin of rotation →

Frequently asked questions

What does “rotation” mean?

The word “rotation” means the action or process of turning around a centre or axis. In plain terms, the act of turning around an axis, or a scheduled cycle of turns.

How do you pronounce “rotation”?

“Rotation” is pronounced roh-TAY-shuhn (/ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/ in IPA).

How do you use “rotation” in a sentence?

Here is “rotation” used in a sentence: “The wheel's rotation slowed as the brake was applied.”

What is another word for “rotation”?

Words with a similar meaning to “rotation” include turning, revolution, rota, roster, duty roster and schedule.

What part of speech is “rotation”?

“Rotation” is a noun.

Where does the word “rotation” come from?

The word “rotation” comes from Latin. From Latin rotatio, built on rotare, "to revolve.".

Is “rotation” a common word?

“Rotation” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “rotation” have?

“Rotation” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the action or process of turning around a centre or axis.

What is the difference between rotation and revolution?

In science, rotation is the turning of a body around its own centre or axis, while revolution is the movement of one body around another. The Earth's rotation on its axis produces day and night, and its revolution around the Sun takes a year. In everyday English, however, revolution can also simply mean one complete turn, which is why the words are sometimes used interchangeably.

What is crop rotation?

Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops on the same land across seasons rather than repeating the same one. Farmers use it to keep soil productive and to break the cycles of pests and diseases that build up when a single crop is grown continuously.

What is the difference between rotation and rota?

A rota, chiefly British, is the list or roster that sets out whose turn it is to do a task. Rotation is the process itself — the regular pattern of taking turns or changing over — so staff listed on a rota work in rotation.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.