Word
Definitions
01physical motion
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun
n. the act of moving your body or changing position.
n. the act or process of moving; a change in physical location or posture.
“She watched the slight movement of the curtains in the breeze.”
“The security cameras are designed to detect even the slightest movement within the restricted perimeter after dark.”
Antonyms
02social or political group
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a group of people who share the same ideas and work together to change something in society.
n. a series of organised activities by people working together toward a shared political, social, or ideological goal.
“He joined the environmental movement to help protect the local rivers.”
“The civil rights movement of the 1960s fundamentally reshaped the legal and social landscape of the United States.”
03part of a musical work
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Music
n. one of the main sections of a long piece of music, like a symphony.
n. a self-contained section of a larger musical composition, such as a symphony or sonata.
“The orchestra played the second movement much slower than the first.”
“The final movement of the symphony concludes with a triumphant brass fanfare that resolves the tension established in the opening bars.”
04mechanical parts
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Engineering Technical
n. the moving parts inside a machine, especially a clock or watch.
n. the inner mechanism of a timepiece or similar device that produces and regulates motion.
“The watchmaker carefully cleaned the tiny gears of the watch movement.”
“The antique clock features a complex mechanical movement that requires manual winding every twenty-four hours to maintain accuracy.”
05aircraft takeoff or landing
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Aviation Technical
n. one instance of a plane taking off or landing at an airport.
n. a single operation of an aircraft taking off or landing at an airfield.
“The busy airport handles over a thousand aircraft movements every day.”
“Air traffic controllers must coordinate hundreds of daily movements to ensure safe separation between arriving and departing flights.”
06emptying the bowels
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Medicine Formal
n. a polite way to talk about going to the toilet to pass solid waste.
n. an act of defecation; often used in medical contexts as a shortened form of 'bowel movement'.
“The doctor asked the patient if they had experienced a regular movement.”
“Post-operative care includes monitoring the patient for their first bowel movement to ensure the digestive system is functioning correctly.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “movement” in context.
Etymology
From Middle English mevement, from Old French movement (modern French mouvement), from movoir + -ment; cf. also Medieval Latin movimentum, from Latin movere (“move”). Doublet of moment and momentum. In this sense, displaced native Old English styring, which led to Modern English stirring. Morphologically move + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/movement
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0