mobilize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to assemble or marshal (armed forces, military reserves, or civilian persons of military age) into readiness for active service.
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to organize or adapt (industries, transportation facilities, etc.) for service to the government in time of war.
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to marshal, bring together, prepare (power, force, wealth, etc.) for action, especially of a vigorous nature.
to mobilize one's energy.
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to increase or bring to a full stage of development.
to mobilize one's anger.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to prepare for war or other emergency by organizing (national resources, the armed services, etc)
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(tr) to organize for a purpose; marshal
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(tr) to put into motion, circulation, or use
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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mobilizationnoun
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mobilizernoun
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overmobilizeverb
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remobilizeverb
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mobilizableadjective
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unmobilizedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mobilizesimple
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mobilizessimple
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have mobilizedperfect
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has mobilizedperfect
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am mobilizingprogressive
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are mobilizingprogressive
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is mobilizingprogressive
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have been mobilizingperfect progressive
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has been mobilizingperfect progressive
Past
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mobilizedsimple
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had mobilizedperfect
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was mobilizingprogressive
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were mobilizingprogressive
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had been mobilizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mobilize
First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from mobilization; see mobile, -ization
Explanation
Use the verb mobilize to describe preparing something — or someone — to spring into action, or to be put into use. You might mobilize the troops, or even your classmates, into action. A busy mother might mobilize her kids to grab their lunches and head out to the bus stop on time, and a detective might mobilize her resources before tracking down a wily criminal. Mobilize literally means "make mobile," and the Latin root is mobilis, "movable, pliable, or flexible."
Vocabulary lists containing mobilize
World War II
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March: Book Three
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Because They Marched
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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.
See Examples For:
Debt has been used throughout history to build homes, highways and railroads, construct schools and mobilize for war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
It’s not uncommon during large events for the department to mobilize officers from specialized units and others who don’t normally work in the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The DSA is highly organized on both a national and local level and, at least in New York City, can mobilize a small army of volunteers to canvas.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
This isn’t the first time the Swiss People’s Party has put forward an immigration-related proposal, and it could very well mobilize another similar vote in the future, Fratzke notes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
They lacked, it seemed, the capacity to mobilize.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Development Finance Corporation, a government agency that typically mobilizes capital for investment in developing countries, will provide discounted political risk insurance and guarantees for maritime transit.
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
Society mobilizes that power for collective ends, creating conflict between individuals, inside groups and between different groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
In this sense, hagiography is not simply about remembering the dead: It mobilizes the living.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2025
The American Red Cross Northwest Region mobilizes local volunteers to respond to disasters, trains thousands of people in preparedness and lifesaving skills, and supports retired and active members of our military.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2024
“Look how El Lider mobilizes the people to protect his causes,” Jorge del Pino told his daughter.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
France has mobilized its fleet of Canadair water bombers along with other aircraft to combat multiple blazes in the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Carney said in a statement on Sunday that he had mobilized more than 5,000 firefighters and nearly 300 waterbombers, helicopters, and evacuation aircraft "to contain, control, and mitigate the fires".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Opposition to the proposed rule has mobilized multiple sectors of society.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Recounting a visit to the fabrication plant months after the earthquake, Shih said he remembers how Japan “had mobilized the country to bring it back on stream because so many companies were dependent on it.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026
About 65 million men were mobilized to fight.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
“There’s obviously a sense of fear in mobilizing from one place to another.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Texas Organizing Project, which supported Crockett during the primary and is dedicated to mobilizing Black and Latino voters, also endorsed Talarico last month.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Japan seeks to become an asset management superpower, mobilizing an estimated $7 trillion from savings into its stock market, including a new $2.3 trillion initiative.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Loneliness and meaning and purpose is something more people are mobilizing around and focusing on, but it needs a much more broad and comprehensive approach,” Weissbourd said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
“Lawrence was particularly vociferous about the need for mobilizing all scientific talent for the uranium program,” he wrote.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
