mobile

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adjective mo·bile \ ˈmō-bəl , -ˌbī-əl also -ˌbēl \

Definition of mobile

1 :capable of moving or being moved :movable

a mobile missile launcher

a mobile laboratory

2 a :changeable in appearance, mood, or purpose

mobile face

b :adaptable, versatile

an organization mobile enough to be able to cope with any emergency

3 :migratory

a mobile society of nomadic herders

4 a :characterized by the mixing of social groups

the general confusion in moral standards which characterizes mobile societies
—E. R. Mowrer

b :having the opportunity for or undergoing a shift in status within the levels of a society

socially mobile workers

5 :marked by the use of vehicles for transportation

mobile warfare

6 :of or relating to a mobile

A mobile art work hung from the ceiling.

7 :cellular 3

a mobile phone

—

mobility

play \mō-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

See mobile defined for English-language learners

See mobile defined for kids

Examples of mobile in a Sentence

Their armies are now fully mobile.
a mobile kitchen that helps bring food to homeless people

Recent Examples of mobile from the Web

While Amazon and Microsoft have released digital assistant apps for mobile devices running Google and Apple software, the apps are not as widespread and using them is usually not as effortless as the ones Apple and Google build into their devices.

— nick wingfield, New York Times, "‘Cortana, Open Alexa,’ Amazon Says. And Microsoft Agrees.," 30 Aug. 2017
While Amazon and Microsoft have released digital-assistant apps for mobile devices running Google and Apple software, the apps are not as widespread and using them is usually not as effortless as the ones Apple and Google build into their devices.

— nick wingfield, The Seattle Times, "‘Cortana, open Alexa,’ Amazon says — and Microsoft agrees," 29 Aug. 2017
Carriers like Orange SA and Vodafone Group Plc have long partnered on mobile-phone masts and equipment to save money.

— rebecca penty, Bloomberg.com, "Telcos Move to Sharing Economy as Fiber Dream Grips Europe," 25 Aug. 2017
Mobile police have not released the names of the individuals involved at this time.

— prescotte stokes iii, AL.com, "9 students arrested after a brawl at a Mobile high school," 23 Aug. 2017
Instead Adair was promoted to detective with LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, an elite mobile crime-fighting unit.

— jeff maysh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Cop Who Became a Robber," 22 Aug. 2017
Then, just as residents were gathering outside the mobile home village, many with pets in their arms, the word came: false alarm.

— joe robertson, kansascity, "Tense evacuation of KC mobile home park turns into false alarm," 22 Aug. 2017
With the intelligence in the cloud, mobile networks can provide the connectivity with many robots.

— bill huang, Scientific American Blog Network, "Robots with Their Heads in the Clouds," 2 Aug. 2017
According to Executive Director Paula Jernigan, the resale shop is one of the main economic engines that supports the work of Mission Central, which operates a community resource center, the Village Pantry and a mobile food pantry.

— faye reeder, star-telegram, "Fashion show and luncheon to benefit Northeast Tarrant families in need," 30 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mobile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mobile

Middle English mobyll, from Anglo-French moble, from Latin mobilis, from movēre to move

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

mobile Synonyms

Synonyms

movable, portable

Antonyms

immobile, immovable, irremovable, nonmobile, unmovable

Related Words

adjustable, flexible, modular; removable (also removeable), transferable (also transferrable), transportable; motile, moving; unbalanced, unstable, unsteady; manageable

Near Antonyms

immotile, nonmotile, nonmoving; motionless, moveless, standing, static, stationary, still, stuck, wedged; fast, fixed, rooted, steadfast

mobile

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noun mo·bile \ ˈmō-ˌbēl \

Definition of mobile

1 :a construction or sculpture frequently of wire and sheet metal shapes with parts that can be set in motion by air currents; also :a similar structure (as of paper or plastic) suspended so that it moves in a current of air

2 British :cell phone, mobile phone

See mobile defined for English-language learners

Examples of mobile in a Sentence

They hung a mobile over the baby's bed.
Even if I'm out of the office you can reach me on my mobile.

Recent Examples of mobile from the Web

Vote for your favorite athlete on each fall sport on your desktop, the cincinnati.com Varsity App, mobile web or cincinnati.com App once a day.

— melanie laughman, Cincinnati.com, "Vote: Enquirer high school athletes of week, Aug. 28," 28 Aug. 2017
Cell phone tips Here's some advice from T-Mobile: -Make sure your phone is charged.

— darla carter, The Courier-Journal, "Hopkinsville bound? Smartphone frustration may await you," 18 Aug. 2017
So many people texted Send Me SFMOMA that mobile carriers thought the service was spamming their customers and blacklisted the number.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Text an Emoji and the SFMOMA Will Respond with a Picture of Art," 17 July 2017
Samsung, which controls more than 90 percent of the global markets for mobile OLED, is using its own OLED screens for the curved displays of the Galaxy smartphones.

— youkyung lee, The Seattle Times, "Massive data growth fuels Samsung’s record quarterly profit," 6 July 2017
The differences between one connection and another — home broadband and mobile networks — will become less distinct in the years to come.

— scott canon, kansascity, "Sprint’s reported talks with cable companies speak to the power of the bundle," 27 June 2017
Our clean, new design provides the best reading experience on your desktop, mobile and tablet devices.

— Oc Register, "OCRegister.com," 22 June 2017
But the mobile ordering is perhaps the most critical update.

— leslie patton, courant.com, "Subway Brings in New Technology to Solve Sales Slump," 16 June 2017
Our fully responsive site offers timely content, keeping Chicagoans in the know across all devices, which are accessible via web, mobile, and tablet.

— Hoy, "Advertise with HOY," 15 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of mobile

see ¹mobile

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1937

See Words from the same year

-mobile

noun combining form

Definition of -mobile

1 :motorized vehicle

snowmobile

2 :automotive vehicle bringing services to the public

bloodmobile

bookmobile

Origin and Etymology of -mobile

automobile

Mobile

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geographical name Mo·bile \ mō-ˈbēl , ˈmō-ˌbēl \

Definition of Mobile

1 river 38 miles (61 kilometers) long in southwestern Alabama formed by the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers and flowing south into Mobile Bay (an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico)

2 city and port at the point where the Mobile River enters Mobile Bay in southwestern Alabama population 195,111

MOBILE Defined for English Language Learners

mobile

play

adjective

Definition of mobile for English Language Learners

: able to move from one place to another
: able to move with the use of vehicles (such as trucks and airplanes)
: able to be moved

mobile

play

noun

Definition of mobile for English Language Learners

: a work of art or a decoration that is hung from above and that has attached shapes or figures that move easily in the air

MOBILE Defined for Kids

mobile

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adjective mo·bile \ ˈmō-bəl , -ˌbēl , -ˌbīl \

Definition of mobile for Students

1 :easily moved :movable

mobile television cameras

2 :changing quickly in expression

The man had a mobile, passionate face …
—Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain

mobile

play

noun mo·bile \ ˈmō-ˌbēl \

Definition of mobile for Students

:an artistic structure whose parts can be moved especially by air currents

Medical Dictionary

mobile

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adjective mo·bile \ ˈmō-bəl , -ˌbīl \

medical Definition of mobile

1 :capable of moving or being moved about readily

globular proteins that are mobile and rod-shaped proteins that form solid structures

the tongue…is clearly the most mobile articulator
—G. A. Miller

2 :characterized by an extreme degree of fluidity

ether and mercury are mobile liquids

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mobility

play \mō-ˈbil-ət-ē\ noun plural -ties

Learn More about mobile

See words that rhyme with mobile Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mobile Spanish Central: Translation of mobile Nglish: Translation of mobile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mobile for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mobile

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Definition of mobile

mobility

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Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

mobile

Definition of mobile

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Origin and Etymology of mobile

-mobile

Definition of -mobile

Origin and Etymology of -mobile

Mobile

Definition of Mobile

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MOBILE Defined for English Language Learners

mobile

Definition of mobile for English Language Learners

mobile

Definition of mobile for English Language Learners

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Definition of mobile for Students

mobile

Definition of mobile for Students

Medical Dictionary

mobile

medical Definition of mobile

mobility

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