momentum

noun

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mo·men·tum | \ mō-ˈmen-təm

, mə- \

plural momenta\ mō-ˈmen-tə

, mə- \ or momentums

Definition of momentum

1 : a property (see property sense 1a) of a moving body that the body has by virtue of its mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c) and motion and that is equal to the product of the body's mass and velocity broadly : a property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force or moment

2 : strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events The wagon gained momentum as it rolled down the hill.

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Examples of momentum in a Sentence

The company has had a successful year and hopes to maintain its momentum by introducing new products. The movie loses momentum toward the end.

Recent Examples on the Web But an interception by Seth Alford shut down any looming momentum shift, and the Lions only needed to kneel to get to the locker room. — Blake Ells, al, 21 Aug. 2021 Grosjean enters Saturday with great momentum, having landed his second 2nd-place finish of the year last Saturday, with both having come on the IMS road course. — Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Aug. 2021 The Bombers quickly snuffed out an early third-quarter drive by Lakota West when Lyons picked off his first pass and trotted unscathed 27 yards to the blue end zone shifting momentum again. — Scott Springer, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2021 Senior Cole Trautmann helped turned the tide for the defense with a crucial interception as the Explorers stunted the Comets‘ momentum in the final frame. — cleveland, 21 Aug. 2021 But his detailed policy memos and unflashy candidacy have struggled to gain attention or sustain momentum. — Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2021 Her deal signified something greater than her own success: a wave of African R&B artists and soul singers like Tems, Simi, Amaarae and sister duo VanJess were beginning to see stateside momentum as well. — Dan Rys, Billboard, 20 Aug. 2021 Over the following years, momentum against Backpage continued to build; the Justice Department seized its website in 2018, and its creators were indicted days later. — Brian Fung, CNN, 20 Aug. 2021 Another study published by the agency found the two mRNA vaccines were 74.7% effective in nursing home residents nationwide between March and May, but protection droppedto 53.1% between June and July, also as the delta variant picked up momentum. — Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2021

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

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Dictionary Entries Near momentum

momentous

momentum

momie cloth

Statistics for momentum

Last Updated

23 Aug 2021

Cite this Entry

“Momentum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/momentum. Accessed 28 Aug. 2021.

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More Definitions for momentum

momentum

noun

English Language Learners Definition of momentum

: the strength or force that something has when it is moving

: the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes

physics : the property that a moving object has due to its mass and its motion

See the full definition for momentum in the English Language Learners Dictionary

momentum

noun

mo·men·tum | \ mō-ˈmen-təm

Kids Definition of momentum

: the force that a moving body has because of its weight and motion

momentum

noun

mo·men·tum | \ mō-ˈment-əm, mə-ˈment-

plural momenta\ -ˈment-ə

\ or momentums

Medical Definition of momentum

: a property of a moving body that the body has by virtue of its mass and motion and that is equal to the product of the body's mass and velocity broadly : a property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force