moment

American  

[moh-muhnt] / ˈmoʊ mənt /

noun

1. an indefinitely short period of time; instant.

   I'll be with you in a moment.

   Synonyms:

   twinkling, flash, trice, jiffy, second

2. Usually the moment the present time or any other particular time.

   He is busy at the moment.

3. a definite period or stage, as in a course of events; juncture.

   at this moment in history.

4. importance or consequence.

   a decision of great moment.

   Synonyms:

   momentousness, magnitude, weight, significance

5. a particular time or period of success, excellence, fame, etc..

   His big moment came in the final game.

6. Statistics. the mean or expected value of the product formed by multiplying together a set of one or more variates or variables each to a specified power.

7. Philosophy.

   1. an aspect of a thing.

   2. Obsolete. an essential or constituent factor.

8. Mechanics.

   1. a tendency to produce motion, especially about an axis.

   2. the product of a physical quantity and its directed distance from an axis.

      moment of area; moment of mass.

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moment British  

/ ˈməʊmənt /

noun

1. a short indefinite period of time

   he'll be here in a moment

2. a specific instant or point in time

   at that moment the doorbell rang

3. the present point of time

   at the moment it's fine

4. import, significance, or value

   a man of moment

5. physics

   1. a tendency to produce motion, esp rotation about a point or axis

   2. the product of a physical quantity, such as force or mass, and its distance from a fixed reference point See also moment of inertia

6. statistics the mean of a specified power of the deviations of all the values of a variable in its frequency distribution. The power of the deviations indicates the order of the moment and the deviations may be from the origin (giving a moment about the origin ) or from the mean (giving a moment about the mean )

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moment Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing moment

• at this point (moment)
• every minute (moment) counts
• for the moment
• have one's moments
• just a minute (moment)
• live for the moment
• never a dull moment
• not for a moment
• of the moment
• on the spur of the moment
• weak moment

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Related Words

See minute ¹. See importance.

Etymology

Origin of moment

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin mōmentum “motion, cause of motion,” hence, “influence, importance, essential factor, moment of time,” from movimentum (unattested), equivalent to mō- (variant stem of the verb movēre move ) + -mentum -ment

Example Sentences

“While we acknowledge the weight of this moment, we remain focused, determined and inspired to serve our community with the same relentless determination she has modeled for us,” the statement reads.

From Los Angeles Times

"The more facilities there are the better, that is one of the biggest barriers facing the sport at the moment," he said.

From BBC

Lighthearted moments are few, as are colors from winds or brass.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some performers from the two casts I caught managed to find moments of theatrical coherence within the onrushing action.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here are some other key moments from Mullin’s Capitol Hill meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bit
• date
• flash
• hour
• juncture
• minute
• occasion
• point
• stage
• time