What does "movement" mean?
Physical motion between points in space.
Movement
/ˈmuːv.mənt/ noun
noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Physical motion between points in space.
- Grammar: movement is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: campaign, crusade, drive, motion.
- Useful contrasts: chronic stasis, complete immobility, marked immobility.
- Usage evidence: The formation and movement of hurricanes are capricious, even with our present-day technology.
How to use "movement"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "movement" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "movement" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "movement" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "movement" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "movement" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "campaign" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "movement", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Physical motion between points in space. countable, uncountable
"I saw a movement in that grass on the hill."
- 2 the act of changing location from one place to another wordnet
- 3 A system or mechanism for transmitting motion of a definite character, or for transforming motion, such as the wheelwork of a watch. countable, uncountable
- 4 the act of changing the location of something wordnet
- 5 The impression of motion in an artwork, painting, novel etc. countable, uncountable
Show 17 more definitions
- 6 a change of position that does not entail a change of location wordnet
- 7 A trend in various fields or social categories, a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals. countable, uncountable
"social movement"
- 8 a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end wordnet
- 9 A large division of a larger composition. countable, uncountable
"Beethoven's movements"
- 10 the driving and regulating parts of a mechanism (as of a watch or clock) wordnet
- 11 Melodic progression, accentual character, tempo or pace. countable, uncountable
- 12 a general tendency to change (as of opinion) wordnet
- 13 An instance of an aircraft taking off or landing. countable, uncountable
"Albuquerque International Sunport serviced over 200,000 movements last year."
- 14 a major self-contained part of a symphony or sonata wordnet
- 15 The deviation of a pitch from ballistic flight. countable, uncountable
"The movement on his cutter was devastating."
- 16 a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something wordnet
- 17 A pattern in which pairs change opponents and boards move from table to table in duplicate bridge. countable, uncountable
- 18 a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals wordnet
- 19 Ellipsis of bowel movement (“an act of emptying the bowels”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"when after a movement feces are streaked with blood and the patient suffers from sphincter algia, a fissure should be suspected,"
- 20 an optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object wordnet
- 21 Motion of the mind or feelings; emotion. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 22 a euphemism for defecation wordnet
Antonyms
chronic stasiscomplete immobilitymarked immobilitymotionless state
Example
"The formation and movement of hurricanes are capricious, even with our present-day technology."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "movement"?
Common synonyms include: campaign, crusade, drive, motion, a school, accent.
How do you use "movement" in a sentence?
The formation and movement of hurricanes are capricious, even with our present-day technology.
How do you pronounce "movement"?
Pronounced /ˈmuːv.mənt/.
Etymology
From Middle English mevement, from Old French movement (modern French mouvement), from movoir + -ment; cf. also Medieval Latin movimentum, from Latin movere (“move”). Doublet of moment and momentum. In this sense, displaced native Old English styring, which led to Modern English stirring. Morphologically move + -ment.