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 White migrants from the east, formerly enslaved people and impoverished immigrants seeking upward mobility all headed west throughout the 1800s. —

Amanda Bellows, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024 Poverty is reduced and there are more opportunities for upward mobility for people who speak, read and write English. —

Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 24 June 2024 Sound systems, as much as the automobiles themselves, symbolized upward mobility, social affiliation, and cultural identities. —

JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024 The project would create 23,000 good-paying union jobs, putting families on the pathway toward upward mobility. —

Donovan Richards, New York Daily News, 12 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for upward mobility

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upward mobility.' 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

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of upward mobility was in 1949

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Upward mobility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upward%20mobility. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

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