motility

noun

mo·​til·​i·​ty mō-ˈti-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being motile : capability of movement

Actin is found in almost all kinds of non-muscle cells where it is thought to have an important role in cell motility.

—Toshio Yanagida et al.

Checks shape, concentration, motility, and number of sperm.

—Michael Gold

2

: the ability of the muscles of the digestive tract to undergo contraction

… some GERD patients have impaired gut motility, meaning that their stomachs empty too slowly.

—Andrew Weil

"Esophageal motility" refers to the action of the esophagus walls' musculature in propelling food downward to the stomach.

—Paul G. Donohue

Patients with scleroderma may have abnormal motility of the small intestine …

—Hani C. Soudah et al.

Examples of motility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What’s more, boosting your gut motility and moving the food out quickly can also help with heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), says Dr. Ganjhu—there’s simply less time for the digestive acids to do their thing. —Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 29 Mar. 2024

Bulking laxatives may not be beneficial for those who have difficulty swallowing, pelvic floor dysfunction, slow motility disorder, esophageal structuring, active intestinal inflammation, those already eating a high-fiber diet, and those who are severely backed up. —Suzanne Finkel, Verywell Health, 25 Mar. 2024

Magnesium citrate helps constipation by increasing gut motility, creating a laxative effect. —Britannay Scanniello, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024

Physical activity: Regular exercise can help bowel motility, which is the movement of your bowels, Firoozi said. —Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 26 Dec. 2023

One start-up based in Ireland plans to release a wearable sensor that tracks the frequency and severity of menopause symptoms, while another from South Korea claims to have developed a gadget that will increase a wearer’s sperm motility. —Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2024

Metabolism slows down over time, and so does bowel motility and the mobility of intestines. —Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 26 Dec. 2023

That said, researchers of the new study did not find any association between cell phone use on motility and morphology. —Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 17 Nov. 2023

Researchers examined the association between semen parameters (sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology) of participants and their mobile phone usage. —Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 17 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

motility

noun

mo·​til·​i·​ty mō-ˈtil-ət-ē 

plural motilities

1

: the quality or state of being motile : capability of movement

sperm motility

2

: the ability of the muscles of the digestive tract to undergo contraction

Patients with scleroderma may have abnormal motility of the small intestine …

—Hani C. Soudah et al.