immobile
Americanadjective
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incapable of moving or being moved.
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not mobile or moving; motionless.
adjective
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not moving; motionless
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not able to move or be moved; fixed
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of immobile
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word immōbilis. See im- 2, mobile
Explanation
Something immobile can't move or be moved — it's locked or stuck in place. If you know that mobile things move around, then you're halfway to understanding what immobile means: this refers to anything that can't move. A mountain is immobile; no one's moving that. Sometimes people who are very large — like offensive lineman — are described as immobile, because they are big and hard to move. When something is immobile, it's not going anywhere.
Vocabulary lists containing immobile
ACT Vocabulary List
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Death of a Salesman
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Statues in L.A. are not as immobile as you’d think.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
John presented as immobile and mute, with his head shifting to one side.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Some were slumped getting sleep on their immobile vehicle.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
The 20-year-old was initially diagnosed with tonsillitis and prescribed antibiotics, however his condition deteriorated and he became immobile with severe leg pain.
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026
Next time I was praying in church—on my knees, immobile, silent before Christ on the Cross—the image of this callisthenic communion with God in the middle of bags of flour kept coming to my mind.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
