vicissitude

vi·cis·si·tude  (v-ss-td, -tyd)

n.

1.

a. A change or variation.

b. The quality of being changeable; mutability.

2. One of the sudden or unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one's life, activities, or surroundings. Often used in the plural. See Synonyms at difficulty.

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[Latin vicissitd, from vicissim, in turn, probably from vics, pl. of *vix, change; see weik-² in Indo-European roots.]

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vicissitude [vɪˈsɪsɪˌtjuːd]

n

1. variation or mutability in nature or life, esp successive alternation from one condition or thing to another

2. a variation in circumstance, fortune, character, etc.

[from Latin vicissitūdō, from vicis change, alternation]

vicissitudinary , vicissitudinous adj

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	vicissitude - a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something; "the project was subject to the usual vicissitudes of exploratory research" variation, fluctuation - an instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change
	2.	vicissitude - mutability in life or nature (especially successive alternation from one condition to another) mutability, mutableness - the quality of being capable of mutation

Translations

vicissitude

n usu pl → Wandel m; the vicissitudes of life → die Launen des Schicksals, die Wechselfälle des Lebens; the vicissitudes of war → die Wirren des Krieges