mobility
Americannoun
-
the ability to move physically
a knee operation has restricted his mobility
mobility is part of physical education
-
sociol (of individuals or social groups) movement within or between classes and occupations See also vertical mobility horizontal mobility
-
time that a resident of a secure unit is allowed to spend outside the unit, as preparation for an eventual return to society
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mobility
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English mobilite, from Latin mōbilitās. See mobile, -ity
Compare meaning
How does mobility compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Mobility is the ability to move freely. If your basketball injury causes you to lose mobility in your knee, that means you can’t move it very well. Mobility often refers to whether you can move an injured body part, like a joint or a limb, but it can also describe movement in general. If you have great mobility on the tennis court, that means you move freely and easily, running down shots with ease. Mobility can also describe movement between different social or economic levels. Your fancy new job may offer opportunities for upward mobility.
Vocabulary lists containing mobility
Human Geography - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Human Geography - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Out of My Mind
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Ward said he could not provide medical evidence of limited mobility, as he no longer needed to attend consultations or meetings with doctors after receiving his prosthetic limb.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility & delivery, will leave the company Nov. 16, he wrote in a Tuesday post on LinkedIn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The two sides have been negotiating a new post-Brexit food and drink deal, a youth mobility scheme and an agreement on emissions tradings.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
In addition to the complications your friend endured, a bad fall can lead to loss of mobility and even a possible withdrawal from social situations due to fear of falling again.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Excitement, apprehension, release and an-ger had drained me of mobility.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Key findings reveal a consensus among the professionals about the inevitability of various forms of climate mobilities in South Florida.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024
According to the researchers, the study serves as an intervention itself, providing insights that might otherwise remain unexplored, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with climate mobilities.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024
"We are in talks about the 11 countries where we are present ... it is up to Nissan to decide," Nicolas Schottey said at the Autonomy Mobility conference about new mobilities in Paris.
From Reuters ● Mar. 23, 2023
My first time at the Voice, in 1966, was a fluke typical of the overnight mobilities of life and work in New York then.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2018
He has studied in a very ingenious manner, not only the mobilities, but also the law of recombination which regulates the spontaneous return of the gas to its normal state.
From The New Physics and Its Evolution by Lucien Poincaré
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
