1
: capable of moving or being moved : movable
a mobile missile launcher
a mobile laboratory
2
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
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 sense 3
a mobile phone
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
1
: motorized vehicle
snowmobile
2
: automotive vehicle bringing services to the public
bloodmobile
bookmobile
Synonyms
Examples of mobile in a Sentence
Adjective
Their armies are now fully mobile.
a mobile kitchen that helps bring food to homeless people
Noun
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 on the WebRick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
With wireless connectivity to both PCs and mobile devices, a paper tray with a 150-sheet capacity, and paper-saving automatic 2-sided printing, this color printer can also produce documents and even photographs.
—Karl Klockars, PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
Today, in addition to the General Store, Brie runs a mobile pie wagon delivering her famous homemade pies to food festivals and farmers' markets across the state.
—Michelle Gross, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Artificial Intelligence is widely regarded as the next big thing in mobile computing.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Yes, so long as the mobile device being used to play music or other audio is being used in a hands-free manner.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Such a plan allows an auto insurer to obtain driving information through an onboard device or mobile application to presumably offer potentially lower rates for good driving.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
Our mobile manipulator Digit worked continuously for 26 hours split over the 3.5 days of Modex 2024, in Atlanta.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024
The center will also be able to take resources out into the community with a new mobile clinic.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
This unlocks access to OpenAI’s latest model inside the Copilot mobile app, on the web, in Windows, and Edge as part of the $30 per user, per month pricing of Copilot for Microsoft 365.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 3 Apr. 2024
But make sure your emails are optimized for mobile and compliant with regional privacy laws like CASL and GDPR.
—Sonali Nair, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
This simple, secure cloud storage service is accessible via web, mobile, and WebDav and can even connect all of your existing cloud accounts for better management.
—Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
According to Espinoza-Garnica, over 2,000 youth participated in after-school sports leagues, with 4,000 participating in summer camps and 1,400 in the city’s free summer mobile recreation program.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
The update will come to mobile and consoles like the Nintendo Switch later on.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
Donation driven To address an immediate need for A positive blood and an ongoing need for all other blood types, Stanford Blood Center’s blood mobile will be at Sharks Ice at 1500 S. 10th St. for a San Jose Sharks Blood Drive on March 30.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
As babies begin to see farther away, a crib mobile can help soothe and entertain them.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 8 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Nielsen’s streaming ratings cover viewing on TV sets only and don’t include minutes watched on computers or mobile devices.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
With wireless connectivity to both PCs and mobile devices, a paper tray with a 150-sheet capacity, and paper-saving automatic 2-sided printing, this color printer can also produce documents and even photographs.
—Karl Klockars, PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
Today, in addition to the General Store, Brie runs a mobile pie wagon delivering her famous homemade pies to food festivals and farmers' markets across the state.
—Michelle Gross, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Artificial Intelligence is widely regarded as the next big thing in mobile computing.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Yes, so long as the mobile device being used to play music or other audio is being used in a hands-free manner.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Such a plan allows an auto insurer to obtain driving information through an onboard device or mobile application to presumably offer potentially lower rates for good driving.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
Our mobile manipulator Digit worked continuously for 26 hours split over the 3.5 days of Modex 2024, in Atlanta.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024
The center will also be able to take resources out into the community with a new mobile clinic.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
Funding programs to build habits The challenge for many programs, especially mobile and school-based clinics, is sustainability, said Richard Niederman, a professor of epidemiology and health promotion at NYU Dentistry and founder of CariedAway.
—Michael Casey, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
This unlocks access to OpenAI’s latest model inside the Copilot mobile app, on the web, in Windows, and Edge as part of the $30 per user, per month pricing of Copilot for Microsoft 365.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 3 Apr. 2024
But make sure your emails are optimized for mobile and compliant with regional privacy laws like CASL and GDPR.
—Sonali Nair, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
This simple, secure cloud storage service is accessible via web, mobile, and WebDav and can even connect all of your existing cloud accounts for better management.
—Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
According to Espinoza-Garnica, over 2,000 youth participated in after-school sports leagues, with 4,000 participating in summer camps and 1,400 in the city’s free summer mobile recreation program.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
The update will come to mobile and consoles like the Nintendo Switch later on.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
Donation driven To address an immediate need for A positive blood and an ongoing need for all other blood types, Stanford Blood Center’s blood mobile will be at Sharks Ice at 1500 S. 10th St. for a San Jose Sharks Blood Drive on March 30.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
As babies begin to see farther away, a crib mobile can help soothe and entertain them.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mobile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English mobyll, from Anglo-French moble, from Latin mobilis, from movēre to move
Noun combining form
automobile
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of mobile was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing mobile
Dictionary Entries Near mobile
Cite this Entry
“Mobile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mobile. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
1
: capable of moving or being moved : movable entry 1
2
: changing quickly in expression
a mobile face
3
: easily moved
mobile troops
4
: tending to travel or migrate from place to place : migratory
mobile workers
5
: characterized by movement from one social class to another
a mobile society
6
mobile
2 of 2 noun
mo·bile
ˈmō-ˌbēl 
: an artistic structure that is moved easily or that has parts easily moved (as by a current of air)
Medical Definition
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
G. A. Miller2
: characterized by an extreme degree of fluidity
ether and mercury are mobile liquids
Geographical Definition
Mobile
geographical name
Mo·bile
mō-ˈbēl
ˈmō-ˌbēl
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
More from Merriam-Webster on 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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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