vicissitude

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vi·cis·si·tude / vəˈsisəˌt(y)oōd/ • n. (usu. vicissitudes) a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant: her husband's sharp vicissitudes of fortune. ∎ poetic/lit. alternation between opposite or contrasting things: the vicissitude of the seasons.DERIVATIVES: vi·cis·si·tu·di·nous / -ˌsisəˈt(y)oōdn-əs; -ˈt(y)oōdnəs/ adj.