FLUC'TUATE, verb intransitive [Latin fluctuo, from fluctus, a wave, from fluo, to flow.] 1. To move as a wave; to roll hither and thither; to wave; as a fluctuating field of air. 2. To float backward and forward, as on waves. 3. To move now in one direction and now in another; to be wavering or unsteady. Public opinion often fluctuates. Men often fluctuate between different parties and opinions. Hence, 4. To be irresolute or undetermined. 5. To rise and fall; to be in an unsettled state; to experience sudden vicissitudes. The funds or the prices of stocks fluctuate with the events of the day.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI