locomotion

noun

lo·​co·​mo·​tion ˌlō-kə-ˈmō-shən 

1

: an act or the power of moving from place to place

2

: travel

interest in free locomotion and choice of occupation

—Zechariah Chafee Jr.

Examples of locomotion in a Sentence

Walking is one form of locomotion.

Recent Examples on the Web

Scaling this up to a large ornithopod walking at 4 km/h (2.5 mph), trackway calculations would report its locomotion as running at nearly 19 km/h (11.8 mph). —New Atlas, 24 June 2025

By observing how the robots respond to various surfaces, the team can gather valuable data on locomotion mechanics. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024

By combining locomotion and arm control into a single system, ANYmal-D can adjust its posture and gait based on the shuttlecock's path, moving more like a human player. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025

But the novella barrels forward with the locomotion evoked in its title, until the end of Grainier’s days, and the end of the Old West. —The Atlantic, 15 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin locus + English motion

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for locomotion

• commotion
• demotion
• devotion
• emotion
• laotian
• promotion
• lotion
• notion
• ocean
• potion

Kids Definition

locomotion

noun

lo·​co·​mo·​tion ˌlō-kə-ˈmō-shən 

: the act or power of moving from place to place

Medical Definition

locomotion

noun

lo·​co·​mo·​tion ˌlō-kə-ˈmō-shən 

: an act or the power of moving from place to place : progressive movement (as of an animal body)