mobilization

American  

[moh-buh-lahy-zay-shuhn] / ˌmoʊ bə laɪˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, mobilisation

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• countermobilization
  noun
• remobilization
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of mobilization

First recorded in 1795–1805; mobiliz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mobilization

Building an embankment and ditch system required planning, coordination and the mobilization of labor.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

“Now the real issue is ensuring that this doesn’t happen again. … We obviously need to be better at anticipating the kind of mobilization that is unfolding.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

"This rapid, mass mobilization in the streets has a multiplier effect and can undoubtedly bring out voters," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

It was an unusually intense mobilization around an ingredient whose primary job is ordinarily to provide a little cold crunch between seasoned beef and sour cream.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Throughout most of our nation’s history—from the days of the abolitionist movement through the Civil Rights Movement—racial justice advocacy has generally revolved around grassroots organizing and the strategic mobilization of public opinion.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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