moment

noun

mo·ment | \ ˈmō-mənt

Definition of moment

1a : a minute portion or point of time : instant a moment of dreadful suspense— Graham Greene

b : a comparatively brief period of time moments of solitude

2a : present time at the moment she is at work on her fourth novel — Holiday

b : a time of excellence or conspicuousness there's … some deliciously funny moments, but most of it is numbingly subtle— Jess Cagle

3 : importance in influence or effect decisions of moment must be made by our government— L. H. Evans

4 obsolete : a cause or motive of action

5 : a stage in historical or logical development a document of one moment in the history of thought and sensibility in the nineteenth century— T. S. Eliot

6a : tendency or measure of tendency to produce motion especially about a point or axis

b : the product of quantity (such as a force) and the distance to a particular axis or point

7a : the mean (see mean entry 4 sense 1b) of the nth powers of the deviations (see deviation sense b) of the observed values in a set of statistical data from a fixed value

b : the expected value of a power of the deviation (see deviation sense b) of a random variable from a fixed value

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about moment

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Choose the Right Synonym for moment

importance, consequence, moment, weight, significance mean a quality or aspect having great worth or significance. importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone. a region with no cities of importance consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects. the style you choose is of little consequence moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence. a decision of great moment weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something. the argument carried no weight with the judge significance implies a quality or character that should mark a thing as important but that is not self-evident and may or may not be recognized. the treaty's significance

Examples of moment in a Sentence

The sun was shining. Moments later, it began to rain. It was a moment before she realized what had happened. She stopped for a moment and peeked into the window. It should only take a moment to fix the problem. I'm very busy and I don't have a moment to spare. One moment it was sunny; the next it was pouring rain. The moment for us to act has arrived. War seemed unavoidable at that moment in history. She knew exactly the right moment to ask for a raise. We had an exciting vacation. There was never a dull moment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Of course, Twitter users were quick to meme-ify the moment, framing it as a not-super-auspicious way for 2019 to kick off. — Krystin Arneson, Glamour, "Chrissy Teigen Got Hit in the Face by an Umbrella on Live TV, and Obviously It Became a Meme," 1 Jan. 2019 Extraordinarily, this debate is occurring at the very moment the Fed—shackled by... — Phil Gramm And, WSJ, "The Fed’s Obama-Era Hangover," 1 Jan. 2019 The weekly family dinners make for the most memorable moments on Blue Bloods, as the gathering is often the only time during the show when every Reagan is on screen together. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Here's What the 'Blue Bloods' Stars Are Actually Eating During the Reagan Family Dinners," 29 Dec. 2018 And now the family is bonding in the quiet moments over the holidays. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Jennifer Lopez’s Boyfriend Alex Rodriguez Is Already Close With Her Daughter Emme," 27 Dec. 2018 Fresh from a visit to the Shawn Mendes salon, Camila Cabello returned to social media with another enchanting moment of fun for fans. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Camila Cabello Did Her Best Hermione Granger Impression During a Trip to a Famous “Harry Potter” Film Location," 19 Dec. 2018 Stealing the spotlight during moments of women’s achievement with a big, allegedly romantic gesture is not an unusual move, even among men who aren’t begging for their partners to forgive them after reportedly cheating on them. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Offset stormed the stage at Cardi B’s concert. It was anything but romantic.," 17 Dec. 2018 In addition, the couple hired Stories by Joseph Radhik to capture moments of their ceremonies and celebrations. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas' Wedding: Everything You Need to Know," 4 Dec. 2018 The two-bedroom home is shaped like a door stop, which creates the slanted stadium seating outside and moments of angular coziness inside. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Modern Japanese house has a climbable roof," 26 Nov. 2018

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