movement

noun move·ment \ ˈmüv-mənt \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Examples: movement in a Sentence

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

All this means that if your team is heading into a shootout, your best bets are to try to go first, line up your best shooters early, have them be unpredictable in their movements, and aim down the center.

— umair irfan, Vox, "World Cup shootouts: why the team that goes first usually wins," 11 July 2018
His late movement on his fastball that ranges around 93 mph and his changeup and breaking ball have gained effectiveness in his time at Jacksonville.

— andre c. fernandez, miamiherald, "This pitching prospect picked up valuable insights this spring from Marlins' starters," 9 July 2018
But her movements were more cat than human, herculean strength packed into her small body.

— ilana strauss, SELF, "I Was Terrified of Falling, So I Tried Parkour," 9 July 2018
Thankfully, his stiff movements did not mirror his musical abilities.

— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 9: Janelle Monáe, Flaming Lips, BØRNS, Judah & the Lion and more," 7 July 2018
The protesters see their movement shrinking, at least for the moment, with no discernible progress toward their goals.

— chris palmer, Philly.com, "For 'Abolish ICE' protesters and the targets of their ire, what's next?," 6 July 2018
The report also examined how white nationalist and anti-Muslim groups use Amazon's e-book, self-publishing, music and Web services businesses to grow their movements.

— tracy jan, latimes.com, "Amazon continues to profit from the sale of white-supremacist propaganda, report says," 6 July 2018
Much of the Polish resistance in its various movements not only failed to help Jews, but was also not infrequently actively involved in persecuting them.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Israeli historian accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of whitewashing Polish complicity in the Holocaust.," 5 July 2018
Her movements were tracked 24/7, via the zoo's panda cams, starting July 1.

— rebecca bratek, CBS News, "National Zoo's giant panda experiencing "pseudopregnancy," zoo says," 5 July 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

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movement Synonyms

MOVEMENT Defined for English Language Learners

movement

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