mass movement

American  

noun

1. an organized effort by a large number of people, especially those not forming part of the elite of a given society, to bring about pervasive changes in existing social, economic, or political institutions, frequently characterized by charismatic leadership.

---

Etymology

Origin of mass movement

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The demonstrations started in late December sparked by economic grievances but grew into a mass movement against the Islamic republic, with huge street protests from January 8, when authorities imposed an internet blackout.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

That’s where you start to get into mass movement and mass liberation.

From Slate • Oct. 13, 2025

Sea-ice also plays an important role in the great ocean conveyor, the mass movement of water that helps distribute heat around the planet and keeps places like the UK and north-west Europe relatively mild.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

But not everyone wants to participate in another four years of mass movement work.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

The Southern struggle had grown from a modest group of black students demonstrating peacefully at one lunch counter to the largest mass movement for racial reform and civil rights in the twentieth century.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander