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

For the Kremlin, every soldier promoted into public life helps sell the war to the Russian public as a source of honor and upward mobility. — David Averre, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026

Especially in border regions, where the median household income is less than fifty thousand dollars, many Latinos see these jobs as one of the best routes to upward mobility. — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Even with the rise of AI, a college degree is widely viewed as the best pathway to upward mobility — particularly in tight job markets. — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

For some, fraud was a route to upward mobility; for others, an act of revenge against the privileged. — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upward mobility

• acceptability
• accessibility
• adaptability
• admissibility
• advisability
• affordability
• allowability
• amenability
• amiability
• appealability
• applicability
• availability