Southern Oscillation

noun

climatology
: a periodic seesaw fluctuation in sea-level atmospheric pressures over the southern Pacific and Indian oceans that is believed to be linked to El Niño and La Niña events compare arctic oscillation, north atlantic oscillation

Examples of Southern Oscillation in a Sentence

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El Niño and La Niña are different phases of the same system—the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a large-scale climate pattern whose oceanic and atmospheric characteristics occur in and above the east-central Pacific Ocean. — John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026 Most people are familiar with El Niño and La Niña, which occur in the Pacific Ocean and are part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 July 2026 El Nino refers to the warmer-than-average phase of the El Nino--Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural cycle where sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean rise and fall. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 El Niño is the climate system’s biggest player and one side of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. — Dillon Amaya, The Conversation, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for Southern Oscillation

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Southern Oscillation was in 1923

Rhymes for Southern Oscillation

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Browse Nearby Words

Southern Ocean
Southern Oscillation
Southern Paiute
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Cite this Entry

“Southern Oscillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Southern%20Oscillation. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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