Past tense of fluctuate; changed back and forth, varied, or moved up and down.
From Latin 'fluctuatus', past participle of 'fluctuare' (to wave or flow). The word entered English in the 17th century and became common for describing any kind of variation or wavering.
Fluctuated is the word news reporters use constantly—'stocks fluctuated wildly today'—because it sounds more sophisticated than 'went up and down.' It's Latin giving English that formal, analytical tone.
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