social movement

American  

noun

1. a group of diffusely organized people or organizations striving toward a common goal relating to human society or social change, or the organized activities of such a group.

   The push for civil rights was a social movement that peaked in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Etymology

Origin of social movement

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

It is a political party represented in parliament and in the government, and a social movement that runs services including schools and hospitals in areas where the state has been absent.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Hu said he would be happy if his book helped improve the situation of delivery drivers, but "from a social movement perspective, literature is not very effective".

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

While some of that reflects the natural increase of the African population, the most important African social movement in modern times has been the explosive growth of Christianity across the continent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

“This is social movement organizing and what it takes to do collective direct action to effect material change in your lives. This shows how to fight authoritarian power.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025

The open source movement has grown to more than eight million users, perhaps the geekiest social movement on the Net, since its members and passionate adherents are programmers and designers.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz