immobility
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of immobility
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Late Latin word immōbilitās. See im- 2, mobility
Explanation
Immobility is the state of not being able to move around. If you fall out of a tree and break your arms and legs, then you will have to put up with months of immobility while your bones heal. Immobility could mean the condition of not being able to move, like that poor mouse stuck in a glue trap whose immobility will lead to its starvation. Immobility can also just mean the state of not moving. If you are entranced by a beautiful sunset, you might stand with quiet immobility while watching the sky.
Vocabulary lists containing immobility
And Then There Were None
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Feed
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As I Lay Dying
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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.
Haematologist Dr George Adams told the inquest that Lady Joan was "extremely high risk" for blood clots and the "biggest risk factor by far was her immobility and her fracture".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Hinds, meanwhile, masterfully shows an affable partner’s emotional immobility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
But while immobility is the characteristic material feature of land, it is financially mobile, in that its value can rise and fall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
"If I’m being honest, I also didn’t want to admit to the depth of my disability. I had muscle spasms and immobility on my left side, and I tried to hide it," she said.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2024
He had dropped down on to one knee and with head bowed seemed to be pushing at the trolley before him, which for some reason had taken on an obstinate immobility.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
