motion

[ moh-shuhn ]
See synonyms for motion on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the action or process of moving or of changing place or position; movement.

  2. power of movement, as of a living body.

  1. the manner of moving the body in walking; gait.

  2. a bodily movement or change of posture; gesture.

  3. a proposal formally made to a deliberative assembly: to make a motion to adjourn.

  4. Law. an application made to a court or judge for an order, ruling, or the like.

  5. a suggestion or proposal.

  6. an inward prompting or impulse; inclination: He will go only of his own motion.

  7. Music. melodic progression, as the change of a voice part from one pitch to another.

  8. Machinery.

    • a piece of mechanism with a particular action or function.

    • the action of such a mechanism.

verb (used with object)
  1. to direct by a significant motion or gesture, as with the hand: to motion a person to a seat.

verb (used without object)
  1. to make a meaningful motion, as with the hand; gesture; signal: to motion to someone to come.

Idioms about motion

  1. go through the motions, to do something halfheartedly, routinely, or as a formality or façade.

  2. in motion, in active operation; moving: The train was already in motion when he tried to board it.

Origin of motion

1
First recorded before 1350–1400; Middle English mocio(u)n, from Latin mōtiōn- (stem of mōtiō), equivalent to mōt(us) (past participle of movēremove) + -iōn--ion

synonym study For motion

1. Motion, move, movement refer to change of position in space. Motion denotes change of position, either considered apart from, or as a characteristic of, something that moves; usually the former, in which case it is often a somewhat technical or scientific term: perpetual motion. The chief uses of move are founded upon the idea of moving a piece, in chess or a similar game, for winning the game, and hence the word denotes any change of position, condition, or circumstances for the accomplishment of some end: a shrewd move to win votes. Movement is always connected with the person or thing moving, and is usually a definite or particular motion: the movements of a dance.

Other words for motion

Other words from motion

  • mo·tion·al, adjective
  • mo·tion·er, noun
  • in·ter·mo·tion, noun
  • non·mo·tion, noun
  • self-motion, noun
  • un·der·mo·tion, noun
  • un·mo·tioned, adjective
  • un·mo·tion·ing, adjective

Words Nearby motion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use motion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motion (1 of 2)

motion

/ (ˈməʊʃən) /


noun
  1. the process of continual change in the physical position of an object; movement: linear motion Related adjective: kinetic

  2. a movement or action, esp of part of the human body; a gesture

    • the capacity for movement

    • a manner of movement, esp walking; gait

  1. a mental impulse

  2. a formal proposal to be discussed and voted on in a debate, meeting, etc

  3. law an application made to a judge or court for an order or ruling necessary to the conduct of legal proceedings

  4. British

    • the evacuation of the bowels

    • excrement

    • part of a moving mechanism

    • the action of such a part

  5. music the upward or downward course followed by a part or melody. Parts whose progressions are in the same direction exhibit similar motion, while two parts whose progressions are in opposite directions exhibit contrary motion: See also parallel (def. 3)

  6. go through the motions

    • to act or perform the task (of doing something) mechanically or without sincerity

    • to mimic the action (of something) by gesture

  7. in motion operational or functioning (often in the phrases set in motion, set the wheels in motion)

verb
  1. (when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to signal or direct (a person) by a movement or gesture

Origin of motion

1
C15: from Latin mōtiō a moving, from movēre to move

Derived forms of motion

  • motional, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Motion (2 of 2)

Motion

/ (ˈməʊʃən) /


noun
  1. Sir Andrew. born 1952, British poet and biographer; his collections include Pleasure Steamers (1978) and Public Property (2002): poet laureate (1999–2009)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with motion

motion

see go through the motions; set in motion; set the wheels in motion.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.