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 & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about moment

Keep scrolling for more

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

At that moment, its carbon composite shield will have to endure temperatures of more than 2,500 degrees, more than 18 times the highest temperature recorded on Earth. — Marco Santana, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Parker Solar Probe preview postponed due to tubing leak, NASA says," 13 July 2018 But at the moment, Driver is focusing on recording the discoveries before a hurricane that is fomenting along the U.S. east coast brings rain to the U.K., possibly breaking the heat wave and erasing traces of Wales’ ancient past. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "A Heat Wave is Revealing Centuries-Old Sites in Wales," 11 July 2018 From Belgium's walk-off goal to Lionel Messi's and Cristiano Ronaldo's farewell, relive the best moments from the Round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. — Steve Douglas, chicagotribune.com, "Chelsea replace Conte with former Napoli boss Sarri," 14 July 2018 At the clinic, Pink travels through time and space to relive major moments in his life. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' was turned into an opera and it's making its American debut in Cincinnati," 13 July 2018 This is destined to join a long list of historical wrestling moments and where better to hold it than at Madison Square Garden. — Aaron Oster, baltimoresun.com, "Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling set for Madison Square Garden show in 2019," 13 July 2018 To describe the plot is to list off random facts of teenage existence: school, home, internet, introspection, looking back on moments from the day and cringing, etc. — refinery29.com, "Eighth Grade Is So Real It Hurts In All The Right Places," 10 July 2018 Despite numerous controversial moments from the brand’s design duo, celebrities still flock to the Dolce & Gabbana shows and wear their clothing. — Colleen Kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Ashley Graham, Naomi Campbell Criticized for Walking Dolce & Gabbana Show After Selena Gomez Diss," 9 July 2018 Each suite is decorated to honor various moments from the town's backstory. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Chip and Joanna Gaines Just Listed a Hotel in Texas and We Want to Buy It Immediately," 8 July 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.