# movement

/ˈmuvmənt/ (US) · /mˈuːvmənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/movement
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. physical motion

noun · CEFR A2

the act of moving your body or changing position.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. social or political group

noun · CEFR B1

a group of people who share the same ideas and work together to change something in society.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. part of a musical work

noun · CEFR B2

one of the main sections of a long piece of music, like a symphony.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. mechanical parts

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the moving parts inside a machine, especially a clock or watch.

For teachers: 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.

### 5. aircraft takeoff or landing

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

one instance of a plane taking off or landing at an airport.

For teachers: 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.

### 6. emptying the bowels

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a polite way to talk about going to the toilet to pass solid waste.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The cat's sudden movement scared the birds away.
- The civil rights movement worked for many years to change unfair laws and ensure equality for everyone.
- The choreographer noticed a slight restriction in the dancer's movement, suggesting that the previous injury had not yet fully healed despite weeks of physical therapy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.