Agitations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Feelings of anxiety, nervousness, or emotional disturbance ; actions aimed at stirring up public unrest or protests
2. Emotional turmoil, such as unease or nervous excitement ; organized efforts to provoke social or political change through protests
3. A state of restlessness or worry in a person ; collective movements or campaigns intended to challenge authority or express dissent

Etymology: "Agitations" is simply the plural of "agitation," so its story is the story of the singular noun. That noun came into English from French "agitation," which in turn came from the Latin "agitātiō," meaning "movement" or "agitation." The Latin root is "agitare," a frequentative of "agere," to drive or set in motion, so the word began as a physical notion of things being stirred or shaken. The sense of mental disturbance grew out of that physical picture. A mind or a crowd that is stirred up is in motion, and the word's move from shaking liquids to shaking nerves follows the same logic. The political sense, organized efforts to provoke change through protest, extends the idea further: a society is stirred until it moves.

Synonyms: disturbances, excitements, turmoil, unrest, discontent

Antonyms: calm, peace, serenity, tranquility, stillness