pendulum

noun

pen·​du·​lum ˈpen-jə-ləm 

ˈpen-dyə-,

-də-

1

: a body suspended from a fixed point so as to swing freely to and fro under the action of gravity and commonly used to regulate movements (as of clockwork)

2

: something (such as a state of affairs) that alternates between opposites

doesn't take much to swing the pendulum of opinion the other way

Examples of pendulum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, looking past the pendulum swing of recent months, the US labor market remains stable — but cooling — and still hasn’t shaken the cause for concern that a greater weakening may be at hand. —Alicia Wallace, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024

So maybe the brown comes as a pendulum swing against that. —Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 5 Dec. 2024

Over the past decade, the pendulum regarding DEI in corporate America has swung both ways: far to the left in 2020 in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, far to the right in 2024, with the election of our 47th president. —Doug Melville, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Hotel rates will come back down as the pendulum swings in our favor. —Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, neuter of pendulus

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pendulum

• Foucault pendulum

Kids Definition

pendulum

noun

pen·​du·​lum ˈpen-jə-ləm 

: a body hung from a fixed point so as to swing freely back and forth under the action of gravity

Etymology

from scientific Latin pendulum "something suspended so as to swing freely," from Latin pendulus "suspended," from pendēre "to hang" — related to depend, perpendicular