What does "propulsion" mean?

The process of propelling, driving, or pushing, typically forward or onward; a propulsive force or impulse.

What is a synonym for "propulsion"?

Common synonyms include: action and reaction, actuation, aeromotor, atomic power, bunt, butt.

How do you pronounce "propulsion"?

Pronounced //pɹəˈpʌlʃən//.

Propulsion

//pɹəˈpʌlʃən// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1
The process of propelling, driving, or pushing, typically forward or onward; a propulsive force or impulse. countable, uncountable
2
the act of propelling wordnet
3
That which propels. countable, uncountable
"However, nuclear propulsion provides a very high specific impulse and consistent, long duration energy source."
4
a propelling force wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

action and reaction actuation aeromotor atomic power bunt butt

Antonyms

All antonyms

dispulsion

Example

More examples

"To overcome drag, airplanes use a propulsion system to generate a force called thrust."

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin propulsio, propulsionis, from the past participle of Latin propello (“to drive forward, drive forth, drive away, drive out”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.