immobile
Americanadjective
-
incapable of moving or being moved.
-
not mobile or moving; motionless.
adjective
-
not moving; motionless
-
not able to move or be moved; fixed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of immobile
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word immōbilis. See im- 2, mobile
Explanation
Something immobile can't move or be moved — it's locked or stuck in place. If you know that mobile things move around, then you're halfway to understanding what immobile means: this refers to anything that can't move. A mountain is immobile; no one's moving that. Sometimes people who are very large — like offensive lineman — are described as immobile, because they are big and hard to move. When something is immobile, it's not going anywhere.
Vocabulary lists containing immobile
ACT Vocabulary List
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!
Death of a Salesman
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!
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #3
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.
Using a range of analytical techniques, the Heidelberg team has now shown how the mobile and nearly immobile impurity models can be unified within a single theoretical framework.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
In the darkness, partially kneeling, gasping for air and practically immobile, he suffered aftershock after aftershock.
From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026
About three hours later, James called NHS 111 and told the operator his brother had gone immobile and had become mute.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
A mosquito spots the eminent man and zooms over to wheedle in his ear, but Bashō remains immobile.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
She spent her mornings immobile in her chair, looking out the window at the bustle of the street, and observing the gradual decline of the neighborhood that in her youth had been so elegant.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
