Revised 2012
agitationnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun agitation mean?
There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun agitation, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun agitation?
About 7occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 8.6 |
| 1760 | 10 |
| 1770 | 14 |
| 1780 | 16 |
| 1790 | 17 |
| 1800 | 17 |
| 1810 | 17 |
| 1820 | 17 |
| 1830 | 18 |
| 1840 | 18 |
| 1850 | 17 |
| 1860 | 16 |
| 1870 | 16 |
| 1880 | 16 |
| 1890 | 17 |
| 1900 | 16 |
| 1910 | 16 |
| 1920 | 16 |
| 1930 | 14 |
| 1940 | 13 |
| 1950 | 12 |
| 1960 | 11 |
| 1970 | 10 |
| 1980 | 7.9 |
| 1990 | 6.6 |
| 2000 | 6.0 |
| 2010 | 5.9 |
How is the noun agitation pronounced?
British English
/ˌadʒᵻˈteɪʃn/
aj-uh-TAY-shuhn
U.S. English
/ˌædʒəˈteɪʃən/
aj-uh-TAY-shuhn
Where does the noun agitation come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun agitation is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for agitation is from 1547, in the writing of Christopher Langton, physician.
agitation is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: French agitation; Latin agitātiōn-, agitātiō.
Nearby entries
- agitable, adj.1548–
- agitable lamp, n.1788–
- agitant, n. & adj.1644–
- agitate, adj.1449–1713
- agitate, v.1587–
- agitated, adj.1614–
- agitatedly, adv.1803–
- agitating, n.1645–
- agitating, adj.1620–
- agitatingly, adv.1808–
- agitation, n.1547–
- agitational, adj.1844–
- agitative, adj.1528–
- agitato, adj., n., & adv.?1775–
- agitator, n.1623–
- agitatorial, adj.1826–
- agitatorship, n.1649–
- agitatrix, n.1656–
- agitpop, n.1968–
- agitprop, n. & adj.1925–
- agive, v.Old English–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for agitation, n.
agitation, n. was revised in September 2012.
agitation, n. was last modified in September 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into agitation, n. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1884)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for agitation, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- agitable, adj.1548–
- agitable lamp, n.1788–
- agitant, n. & adj.1644–
- agitate, adj.1449–1713
- agitate, v.1587–
- agitated, adj.1614–
- agitatedly, adv.1803–
- agitating, n.1645–
- agitating, adj.1620–
- agitatingly, adv.1808–
- agitation, n.1547–
- agitational, adj.1844–
- agitative, adj.1528–
- agitato, adj., n., & adv.?1775–
- agitator, n.1623–
- agitatorial, adj.1826–
- agitatorship, n.1649–
- agitatrix, n.1656–
- agitpop, n.1968–
- agitprop, n. & adj.1925–
- agive, v.Old English–
