— agitational , adj.
/aj'i tay"sheuhn/ , n.
1. the act or process of agitating; state of being agitated: She left in great agitation.
2. persistent urging of a political or social cause or theory before the public.
3. Also called psychomotor agitation . psychological and physical restlessness, manifested by pacing, hand-wringing, or other activity, sometimes occurring as a symptom of severe depression, schizophrenia, or other mental disorder.
[ 1560-70; agitation- (s. of agitatio ); see AGITATE, -ION ]
Syn. 1. tumult, storm; unrest, disquiet; struggle, conflict; perturbation, ado. AGITATION, DISTURBANCE, EXCITEMENT, TURMOIL imply inner unrest, uneasiness, or apprehension. AGITATION implies a shaken state of emotions, usually perceptible in the face or movements: With evident agitation she opened the telegram. DISTURBANCE implies an inner disquiet caused by worry, indecision, apprehension, or the like: Long-continued mental disturbance is a cause of illness.
EXCITEMENT implies a highly emotional state caused by either agreeable or distressing circumstances: excitement over a proposed trip, unexpected good news, a fire. TURMOIL suggests such a struggle or conflict of emotions that one is unable to think consecutively: Her thoughts were in a hopeless turmoil. 2. debate, discussion, argument.