moment

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 But Ohio State has 25 recruits committed for 2020 at the moment. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, "Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard approved for a sixth year of eligibility," 5 Dec. 2019 But at the moment, no other public hearings are scheduled. — NBC News, "Transcript: Impeachment 101," 5 Dec. 2019 Zhao, who was at that moment deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, took specific aim at the U.S. capital, arguing that white residents of Washington would never go to Southwest D.C. due to racial segregation. — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, "China’s Foreign Ministry adopts a Trumpian tone on its new Twitter account — with insults, typos, ALL-CAPS and emoji," 5 Dec. 2019 While Indiana seems set to continue the practice at football, and even expand it across its athletics campus, beer and wine don’t appear bound for the department’s flagship arena at the moment. — Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star, "Beer and wine sales at football a win for IU. But don't expect Assembly Hall to start serving alcohol.," 4 Dec. 2019 Unfortunately there are just too many missing pieces at this moment. — Jeremy Cluff, azcentral, "Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers picks, predictions: Who wins Week 14 NFL game?," 4 Dec. 2019 Her departure erodes the diversity of the Democratic field, which is dominated at the moment by a top tier that is white and mostly male. — Arkansas Online, "Kamala Harris ends White House bid, citing lack of funding," 3 Dec. 2019 At this moment of apparent reconciliation, Philip was suddenly assassinated by a young Macedonian noble and former lover, Pausanias. — National Geographic, "Alexander the Great's warrior mom wielded unprecedented power," 3 Dec. 2019 Right now is a good point on the calendar to put out an original film as franchises are not widespread at the moment. — Pamela Mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "How Original Films Saved the Thanksgiving Box Office," 2 Dec. 2019

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.