vicissitude

vi·cis·si·tude

Use vicissitude in a sentence

noun

Vicissitude is an unpredictable change in your luck or circumstances.

An example of vicissitude is when you have a great job but then you lose your great job.

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"vicissitude." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vicissitude>.

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vicissitude. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vicissitude

vicissitude

1. a condition of constant change or alternation, as a natural process; mutability: the vicissitude of the sea
2. regular succession or alternation, as of night and day
[pl.] unpredictable changes or variations that keep occurring in life, fortune, etc.; shifting circumstances; ups and downs
a difficulty that is likely to occur, esp. one that is inherent in a situation

Origin of vicissitude

French from Classical Latin vicissitudo from an unverified form vix, a turn, change: see vicar

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MLA Style

"vicissitude." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vicissitude>.

APA Style

vicissitude. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vicissitude

vicissitude

noun

a. A change or variation: an economy vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the oil market.
b. A usually unforeseen change in circumstance or experience that affects one's life, especially in a trying way: the vicissitudes of childhood. See Synonyms at difficulty.
The quality of being changeable; mutability: the vicissitude of fortune.

Origin of vicissitude

Latin vicissitūdō from vicissim in turn probably from vicēs pl. of vix change ; see weik-² in Indo-European roots.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"vicissitude." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vicissitude>.

APA Style

vicissitude. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vicissitude

Noun

(plural vicissitudes)

Regular change or succession from one thing to another, or one part of a cycle to the next; alternation; mutual succession; interchange.
(often in the plural) a change, especially in one's life or fortunes.

Origin

From Latin vicissitudo (“change"), from vicissim (“on the other hand, in turn"), from vicis (“change, vicissitude"), whence Spanish vez and French fois (“time (as in next time), occurrence").

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.