transformation vs upheaval

transformation

noun
  • The act of transforming or the state of being transformed. 

  • The alteration of a bacterial cell caused by the transfer of DNA from another, especially if pathogenic. 

  • The replacement of the variables in an algebraic expression by their values in terms of another set of variables; a mapping of one space onto another or onto itself; a function that changes the position or direction of the axes of a coordinate system. 

  • The transition from the apartheid era to a multiracial democracy in South Africa. 

  • A marked change in appearance or character, especially one for the better. 

  • A rule that systematically converts one syntactic form into another; a sentence derived by such a rule. 

upheaval

noun
  • Disruptive change, from one state to another. 

  • A sudden violent upset, disruption or convulsion. 

  • The process of being heaved upward, especially the raising of part of the earth's crust. 

How often have the words transformation and upheaval occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )