movement

noun

move·ment | \ ˈmüv-mənt

Definition of movement

1a(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

2a : 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

4a : motion sense 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

5a : 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)

6a : an act of voiding (see void entry 3 sense 2a) the bowels : bowel movement sense 3a

b : matter expelled from the bowels at one passage : stool sense 3a

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about movement

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Synonyms & Antonyms for movement

Synonyms

motion, move, shift, shifting, stir, stirring

Antonyms

motionlessness

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 on the Web

In the ’70s, the punk movement sprang from political and social strife, and its key messages were individuality and freedom above all else. — Emily Farra, Vogue, "The Biggest Street-Style Trends of Fall 2019," 13 Mar. 2019 In space, your eyes see movement, but without gravity your body can’t discern it. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Tourist's Guide to Space," 12 Mar. 2019 Why should the feminist movement be different today? — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "Everyone Should Be A Feminist and Here's Why," 8 Mar. 2019 The 5-Star leader, Luigi Di Maio, already sparked annoyance earlier this month by saying his populist movement was ready to help France’s anti-government yellow vest protesters. — Colleen Barry, The Seattle Times, "Italy’s Salvini lashes out at Macron as ‘terrible president’," 22 Jan. 2019 To create him, the filmmakers chose to ignore modern mo-cap techniques in favor of empowering the film’s animators to create his distinct movement by hand using traditional keyframe animation. — Bryan Bishop, The Verge, "How Weta Digital created the steampunk world of Mortal Engines," 21 Dec. 2018 Tapping the step counter shows a bar graph breaking down your movement by hour, and tapping the most recent workout stat brings you to a list of all your workouts in date order. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Huawei Watch GT review: When hardware and software don’t mesh," 16 Dec. 2018 In the Duke and Duchess’s wake, Australian republicans will certainly be hastily waving them off, while trying not to admit that really, their movement is drowning. — Juliet Rieden, Town & Country, "Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Tour of Australia Is Crucial to the Future of the Monarchy," 1 Nov. 2018 From the Archives In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead in 2018, student survivors have started a movement for greater gun control. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "A Year After Parkland Shooting, Communities Reflect," 14 Feb. 2019

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.