mobility

noun

mo·​bil·​i·​ty mō-ˈbi-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being mobile or movable

… its efforts were supported by the cavalry which … compensated for the infantry's lack of mobility.

—R. M. Ogorkiewicz

… it becomes cost-effective and socially advantageous to provide urban mobility by means of metros: urban rail mass transit systems on exclusive rights-of-way.

—Michael A Niedzielski et al.

: ability or capacity to move

… the physical challenges of vision loss, hearing loss, and reduced mobility.

—Vicki Bloom and Benjamin B. Green-Field

When large doses of steroids restored mobility, they also created irritability, insatiable appetite, and facial hair …

—Whitney Scott

2

: the ability to change one's social or socioeconomic position in a community and especially to improve it

A large body of academic research shows that inequality and lack of social mobility hurt not just those at the bottom; they hurt everyone.

—Rana Foroohar

The mythology of the American Dream has made it difficult to start a serious conversation about how to create more opportunity in our society, since many of us still believe that our mobility is the result of our elbow grease and nothing more.

—Rana Foroohar

see also upward mobility

Examples of mobility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This vibrating board activates rapid muscle contractions throughout your body to help improve circulation, balance and mobility. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026

Shadyab will highlight what allows some people to thrive well into their 90s with strong mobility and sharp minds. —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026

Travelers with mobility issues should contact their airline – not the airport or TSA – as soon as possible to make a reservation for a wheelchair at the airport to escort them through security, according to the DOT. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026

Elgin Community College has been designated a 2026 Leader College by Achieving the Dream, a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing and economic mobility. —Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mobility

• micro-mobility
• mobility scooter
• upward mobility

Rhymes for mobility

• ability
• agility
• civility
• debility
• docility
• ductility
• facility
• fertility
• fragility
• futility
• gentility
• hostility