rotation

noun

ro·​ta·​tion rō-ˈtā-shən 

1

a(1)

: the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center

(2)

: the act or an instance of rotating something

b

: one complete turn : the angular displacement required to return a rotating body or figure to its original orientation

2

a

: return or succession in a series

rotation of the seasons

b

: crop rotation

3

: the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot

4

: a game of pool in which all 15 object balls are shot in numerical order

5

: the series of pitchers on a baseball team who regularly start successive games in turn

rotational

rō-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• gyration
• pirouette
• reel
• revolution
• roll
• spin
• twirl
• wheel
• whirl

Examples of rotation in a Sentence

the rotation of the Earth around its axis

the rotation of the Moon around the Earth

The Earth makes one rotation every day.

Alfalfa and corn are planted in rotation.

the rotation of the job of club president

The car needs a tire rotation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their rotation is thin, and that's been an issue for a few years now. —Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

The Yankees were deep in the Juan Soto trenches, while the Red Sox were clear that bolstering their rotation was their first priority. —Katie Woo, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025

The Rays agreed, allotting him a spot in their rotation that at the moment has one too many pitchers. —Marc Topkin, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2025

Now, the Yankees have added left-handed pitcher Max Fried to the top of their rotation to replace Stroman. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rotation

• crop rotation
• optical rotation

Kids Definition

rotation

noun

ro·​ta·​tion rō-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: the act of rotating especially on an axis

b

: one complete turn

2

: crop rotation

rotational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

Medical Definition

rotation

noun

ro·​ta·​tion rō-ˈtā-shən 

: the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center

specifically : the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot

rotation of the head to look over the shoulder

rotational

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective