movement

play

noun move·ment \ ˈmüv-mənt \

Definition of movement

1 a (1) :the act or process of moving; especially :change of place or position or posture

studying the movement of planets

(2) :a particular instance or manner of moving

was entranced by her graceful movements

b (1) :a tactical or strategic shifting of a military unit :maneuver

(2) :the advance of a military unit

the steady movement of troops across the border

c :action, activity —usually used in plural

carefully watched the movements of the crowd

2 a :tendency, trend

detected a movement toward fairer pricing

b :a series of organized activities working toward an objective; also :an organized effort to promote or attain an end

the civil rights movement

a movement to increase the minimum wage

3 :the moving parts of a mechanism that transmit a definite motion

4 a :motion 7

b :the rhythmic character or quality of a musical composition

a dance movement

c :a distinct structural unit or division having its own key, rhythmic structure, and themes and forming part of an extended musical composition

The symphony consisted of three movements.

d :particular rhythmic flow of language :cadence

a poem's movement

5 a :the quality (as in a painting or sculpture) of representing or suggesting motion

b :the vibrant quality in literature that comes from elements that constantly hold a reader's interest (such as a quickly moving action-filled plot)

6 a :an act of voiding (see ³void 2a) the bowels

b :matter expelled from the bowels at one passage

See movement defined for English-language learners

See movement defined for kids

Examples of movement in a Sentence

He developed an efficient system for movement of raw materials to the factory.
studying the movements of the planets
We wore loose clothes to allow for easier movement.
the graceful movements of a dancer
The police have been keeping a careful record of his movements.
There's a movement afoot to rename the town.
a book about the history of the civil rights movement
They joined the antiwar movement.

Recent Examples of movement from the Web

But others gained nothing, or experienced uncontrolled movements.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Brain cell replacement for Parkinson's boosted by monkey study," 30 Aug. 2017
Cities across the country were joining the movement, and city institutions like Kroger, P&G, the University of Cincinnati followed suit.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati moves to divest from 'unholy cause' of private prisons," 30 Aug. 2017
The youth movement is still going on by adding freshman Rawlings and sophomores Radonovich and Smith to the field to carry a big workload.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "2017 girls soccer preview," 30 Aug. 2017
He was known in South Florida as a member of the Occupy movement who participated in the 100-day encampment at a government plaza in Miami in 2011.

— frances robles, New York Times, "Charlottesville Beating Suspect Is Arrested in Georgia," 29 Aug. 2017
The brand was adopted by the mod movement and systematically has been associated with a diverse group of subcultures from reggae to punk to Brit pop.

— jared michael lowe, Teen Vogue, "How Polo Shirts Became a White Supremacist Uniform," 29 Aug. 2017
His church members, in their red St. John T-shirts, form the backbone of the anti-crime effort, but Robinson hopes to attract other ministers and their congregations to give the movement sustainability.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Seeking divine intervention in Gary's violent streets," 26 Aug. 2017
This sudden movement can create chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretch and damage brain cells.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Big spike in District 203 concussion numbers tied to parental reporting," 26 Aug. 2017
That means cutting away damaged drywall and exposing wall and ceiling cavities to permit air movement and drying.

— Popular Mechanics, "How to Evacuate Before a Storm or Flood," 25 Aug. 2017

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

First Known Use of movement

14th century

movement Synonyms

Synonyms

motion, move, shift, shifting, stir, stirring

Antonyms

motionlessness

Related Words

dislocation, migration, relocation; locomotion, mobility, motility, motivity; fiddling, fidgeting, squirm, squirming, twitching, wriggling, writhing; flailing, flapping, waving

Near Antonyms

immobility; inertia, inertness, stillness; cessation, discontinuance, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, pause, shutdown, shutoff, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination

MOVEMENT Defined for English Language Learners

movement

play

noun

Definition of movement for English Language Learners

: the act or process of moving people or things from one place or position to another
: the act of moving from one place or position to another
: the act of moving your body or a part of your body