upward mobility

noun

: the capacity or facility for rising to a higher social or economic position
upwardly mobile adjective

Examples of upward mobility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Homeownership has long been a North Star for those seeking upward mobility. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025 For decades, a diploma was the ticket to upward mobility. Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 For the last several decades, federal jobs helped Black workers find stable work with guardrails to prevent bias, but mass cuts are threatening decades of upward mobility. Michelle Garcia, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2025 Our very optimism—our very Dream—has permitted half a century of declining upward mobility and gaping inequality. Alice Lassman, Time, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upward mobility

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upward mobility was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Upward mobility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upward%20mobility. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

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