mobilization
Americannoun
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the act or process of marshaling, organizing, or preparing something for action.
The study was undertaken as part of the mobilization for Ebola prevention in Sierra Leone.
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the act or process of calling up or organizing military forces to prepare for active service, or of organizing industries, goods, etc., to serve the government in time of war.
As an infantryman, he was on the front lines assisting in the mobilization of vehicles, troops, and weaponry.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mobilization
First recorded in 1795–1805; mobiliz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )
Explanation
When a government gets its troops prepared for battle, that's mobilization. It's also mobilization when you organize your family to throw a surprise party for your sister. Preparing a group of people so they're ready to act at a moment's notice is what mobilization is all about. It comes from the verb mobilize, which literally means "to make mobile." Both words have been used in a military context since the 1850s, originally to talk about the Imperial Russian Army and its mobilization at the start of the Crimean War. Before that, mobilization simply meant "rendering capable of movement."
Vocabulary lists containing mobilization
World War I
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Chapter 24: World War I
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Chapter 24: Imperialism and World War I
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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.
On Saturday, Iraq’s military said that two units in the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella militia group, were attacked in separate aerial strikes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
According to Iraq’s joint command, the base is used by several elements of the Iraqi security forces including the Iraqi army and police as well as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or P.M.F., an umbrella organization.
From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2024
A group of Iranian-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces were key in the fight against Islamic State militants after the extremist group overran much of Iraq in 2014.
From Washington Times • Dec. 26, 2023
Planning Department and the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office, which have committed to creating various heat plans and climate assessments.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2023
“We focus on civics and mathematics and English. The Director of Mobilization has sponsored our efforts.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
