the action or process of moving or of changing place or position; movement.
power of movement, as of a living body.
the manner of moving the body in walking; gait.
a bodily movement or change of posture; gesture.
a proposal formally made to a deliberative assembly.
to make a motion to adjourn.
Law. an application made to a court or judge for an order, ruling, or the like.
a suggestion or proposal.
an inward prompting or impulse; inclination.
He will go only of his own motion.
Music. melodic progression, as the change of a voice part from one pitch to another.
Machinery.
a piece of mechanism with a particular action or function.
the action of such a mechanism.
go through the motions, to do something halfheartedly, routinely, or as a formality or façade.
in motion, in active operation; moving.
The train was already in motion when he tried to board it.
the process of continual change in the physical position of an object; movement
linear motion
a movement or action, esp of part of the human body; a gesture
the capacity for movement
a manner of movement, esp walking; gait
a mental impulse
a formal proposal to be discussed and voted on in a debate, meeting, etc
law an application made to a judge or court for an order or ruling necessary to the conduct of legal proceedings
the evacuation of the bowels
excrement
part of a moving mechanism
the action of such a part
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
to act or perform the task (of doing something) mechanically or without sincerity
to mimic the action (of something) by gesture
operational or functioning (often in the phrases set in motion, set the wheels in motion )
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.
First recorded before 1350–1400; Middle English mocio(u)n, from Latin mōtiōn- (stem of mōtiō ), equivalent to mōt(us) (past participle of movēre move ) + -iōn- -ion
Motion is the way things get from place to place. The ball rolling down a hill is in motion, and as Isaac Newton once proved, it will remain in motion until it hits a wall or something else that makes it stop. When motion is used as a noun, it describes movement, like the motion that propels a car from one end of the highway to another. When used as a verb, motion means to signal or direct. "A restaurant patron will motion to the server when he's ready for the check." Someone who is just "going through the motions" doesn't have to move at all, because they're just pretending.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I will say," Gavin adds, "one random tip is writing in motion - walking, driving, rollerblading, anything like that."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Novo Nordisk said the motion, to be filed on Aug. 17, will ask the court to stop Eli Lilly from advertising its GLP-1 weight-loss drugs while the lawsuit proceeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The newspaper had challenged the government requests for phone records of reporters and grand jury testimony as an attempt to "intimidate" the press and filed a motion to have them quashed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Electron and proton motion often work together in both living systems and engineered materials.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
I had seen a motion picture one time at school about a parade in Washington.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Motion sensors attached to security alarms occasionally mistake sudden shifts in temperature within a room as movement, triggering the alarms, say security firms.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
The Motion Picture Association and the U.S. ambassador to Canada had pressed the country to change the policy, and the government acquiesced late Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
The Motion Picture Association said the move would impose “discriminatory investment obligations” on its members, arguing it violated Canada’s trade obligations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
It isn’t her, of course, though it is the dress, designed by William Travilla and now a part of the new “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon” installation at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
The title of the draft book was On Motion, but the draft bears little resemblance to the book Galileo published under the same title some years later.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
“We require so much of those guys, from what we do with formations with motions, with adjustments that they’re going to make before the ball is even snapped,” Scheelhaase said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Judge Hellerstein also on Wednesday set a November 17 hearing devoted to defense motions, including a challenge to the legality of how Maduro and Flores were captured.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Those tiny motions create an energy gap that allows quasiparticles to emerge from what would otherwise remain a highly correlated quantum background.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
If you think of the Williams sisters you see them in the Wimbledon whites, moving around a grass court, two beautiful service motions, with athleticism, power, and touch at the net to boot.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
She motions to the table, so I follow orders and sit down.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
She motioned to the Egyptian busts and said: "These heads, they talk to me."
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Melonie Walcott, an HIV researcher, held an imaginary fishing rod and motioned reeling in a catch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Finally, he motioned the audience to stop, like, “OK. OK. Enough. Let’s go have dinner and a drink.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
Soldiers were always nearby when AFP spoke to locals and on one occasion in Bariire motioned a woman to say no when asked if she feared Al-Shabaab's possible return.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
He stopped and motioned to the garbage behind him.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
"Silencio" the rescuers scream turning towards the road with their fists up in the air, motioning to everyone to remain silent.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Philadelphia’s Edmundo Sosa sauntered out of the box, motioning with one hand in a pump-wave in front of 51,794 Dodgers fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
After seeing three tries ruled out by the television match official, Freeman and Henry Pollock both celebrated undeniable scores by motioning for a video review.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
"Ok," said Trump as Rubio went back to his seat, motioning for reporters to be quiet as they shouted questions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025
“Sit here,” I said to him, motioning next to me.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
