movable

1 of 2

adjective

mov·​able ˈmü-və-bəl How to pronounce movable (audio)
variants or moveable
1
: capable of being moved
2
: changing date from year to year
movable holidays
movability noun
movableness noun
movably adverb

movable

2 of 2

noun

variants or moveable
: something (such as an article of furniture) that can be removed or displaced

Examples of movable in a Sentence

Adjective Thanksgiving is a movable holiday. any furniture that is not movable will be covered with protective cloths by the painters
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The Chinese, again, were there centuries earlier, but their achievements were unknown to Johannes Gutenberg, the German goldsmith who in the fourteen-fifties introduced a press with movable metal type, making books abundant and relatively affordable. Claudia Roth Pierpont, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Many more movable walls can be found throughout the three-story home, welcoming in light, breezes and sounds of the ocean, which sits a block away. Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 What to know The school’s three grade levels have their own wing, along with a large open space for each grade that allows for collaboration between classrooms equipped with movable furniture. The Indianapolis Star, 31 Jan. 2024 The work hangs in the new Gallery C3 at Alchemy in South End, which includes a gallery space with movable walls and open space for a variety of installations, plus a restaurant and coffee shop that’s open to the public. Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 It’s designed for little ones between 3 and 8 years old and comes complete with chalkboard walls, a working doorbell, and a clock with movable hands. Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 16 Oct. 2023 The property can include furnishings and movable structures. Jeastman, oregonlive, 17 Aug. 2023 Plott, however, died in 2005, and most of its movable goods had been previously sold at a private auction. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2023 The pandemic’s Open Streets program, patched together at first with movable fences and lemonade stands, has borne a new set of permanent transformations, fitted out with measures to tame cars, attract (and slow down) bikers, relax pedestrians, and elide the difference between sidewalk and street. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 12 Dec. 2023
Noun
For those who want to boss around inanimate objects verbally, a voice command would also get the movables moving. Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023 Islands, some movable, are light gray or dark wood. Benjamin C Tankersley, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2023 Two weeks later, the Post published photos of escalators being installed and the cleanup of the area to which the movable seats would located in the baseball configuration. Mark Schmetzer, Cincinnati.com, 16 May 2020 Pairing him with Budda Baker gives Arizona two dynamic movable chess pieces, which will help a defense that has struggled mightily on third down. Jeremy Cluff, azcentral, 27 Apr. 2020 In 2015, the draft became a movable feast, taking over a different city every year, because that’s what out-of-control monsters do. Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 22 Apr. 2020 Baun would also be an outstanding movable JACK linebacker if the team opts to run any three-man fronts. John Owning, Dallas News, 25 Mar. 2020 In 1941, the Ford Motor Company's engineers innovated a movable, affordable infant incubator that aimed to reduce infant deaths in hospitals. A. J. Baime, Car and Driver, 31 Mar. 2020 The transportation agency is considering carving out temporary bike lanes and taking away traffic lanes from cars by using orange cones or movable barriers. Winnie Hu, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'movable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of movable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near movable

Cite this Entry

“Movable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/movable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

movable

1 of 2 adjective
mov·​able
variants or moveable
1
: capable of being moved : not fixed
2
: changing date from year to year
Thanksgiving is a movable holiday
movably adverb

movable

2 of 2 noun
variants or moveable
: a piece of property (as an article of furniture) that can be moved

Legal Definition

movable

1 of 2 adjective
mov·​able
variants or moveable
: capable of being moved

movable

2 of 2 noun
variants or moveable
: an item of movable property
also : a right or interest (as a chattel mortgage) in an item of movable property
bonds and annuities are incorporeal movables
often used in pl.
compare immovable

More from Merriam-Webster on movable

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