agitation

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The act of agitating or the state of being agitated.
• noun Extreme emotional disturbance; perturbation.
• noun The stirring up of public interest in a matter of controversy, such as a political or social issue.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun The act of agitating, or the state of being agitated.
• noun Disturbance of the mind; perturbation; excitement of passion.
• noun Examination of a subject in controversy; deliberation; discussion; debate.
• noun The act of arousing public attention to a political or social question by speeches, etc. Synonyms Agitation, Trepidation, Tremor, Emotion, excitement, flutter. Tremor is, in its literal use, wholly physical; it may be in a part of the body or the whole; it is generally less violent than trepidation. Trepidation and agitation are more often used of the mind than of the body. But all three words may express states either of the body or the mind, or of both at once through reflex influence. Trepidation is generally the result of fear; it is the excited anticipation of speedy disaster, penalty, etc. Agitation may be retrospective and occasioned by that which is pleasant; it includes the meaning of trepidation and a part of that of emotion. Emotion is used only of the mind; it is the broadest and highest of these words, covering all movements of feeling, whether of pleasure or pain, from agitation to the pleasure that the mind may take in abstract truth.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun The act of agitating, or the state of being agitated; the state of being moved with violence, or with irregular action; commotion.
• noun A stirring up or arousing; disturbance of tranquillity; disturbance of mind which shows itself by physical excitement; perturbation.
• noun Excitement of public feeling by discussion, appeals, etc.
• noun Examination or consideration of a subject in controversy, or of a plan proposed for adoption; earnest discussion; debate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun The act of agitating, or the state of being agitated; the state of being moved with violence, or with irregular action; commotion.
• noun A stirring up or arousing; disturbance of tranquillity; disturbance of mind which shows itself by physical excitement; perturbation.
• noun Excitement of public feeling by discussion, appeals, etc.
• noun Examination or consideration of a subject in controversy, or of a plan proposed for adoption; earnest discussion; debate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun disturbance usually in protest
• noun a state of agitation or turbulent change or development
• noun the feeling of being agitated; not calm
• noun a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance
• noun the act of agitating something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously)