mobility

American  

[moh-bil-i-tee] / moʊˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

• mobilities
  plural

1. the quality of being mobile.

2. Sociology. social mobility.

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mobility British  

/ məʊˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the ability to move physically

   a knee operation has restricted his mobility

   mobility is part of physical education

2. sociol (of individuals or social groups) movement within or between classes and occupations See also vertical mobility horizontal mobility

3. time that a resident of a secure unit is allowed to spend outside the unit, as preparation for an eventual return to society

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intermobility
  noun
• nonmobility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mobilities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of mobility

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English mobilite, from Latin mōbilitās. See mobile, -ity

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Compare meaning

How does mobility compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• motility vs. mobility

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Explanation

Mobility is the ability to move freely. If your basketball injury causes you to lose mobility in your knee, that means you can’t move it very well. Mobility often refers to whether you can move an injured body part, like a joint or a limb, but it can also describe movement in general. If you have great mobility on the tennis court, that means you move freely and easily, running down shots with ease. Mobility can also describe movement between different social or economic levels. Your fancy new job may offer opportunities for upward mobility.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mobility mobilities

But I understand why you are concerned about your health and mobility as you age.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

These changes can make everyday activities more difficult and gradually reduce mobility and physical independence.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

China’s robotaxi operators are also commercializing overseas, particularly in the Middle East and Europe, where higher labor costs improve the economics of autonomous mobility, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Instead of the Ivory Coast-Sahel row, the official blamed the political situation in the Sahel countries -- which are all wracked by a long-running and bloody jihadist insurgency -- for "reducing the mobility of artists".

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

But there is broad consensus about what an optimal range of mobility is.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Key findings reveal a consensus among the professionals about the inevitability of various forms of climate mobilities in South Florida.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024

According to the researchers, the study serves as an intervention itself, providing insights that might otherwise remain unexplored, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with climate mobilities.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024

"We are in talks about the 11 countries where we are present ... it is up to Nissan to decide," Nicolas Schottey said at the Autonomy Mobility conference about new mobilities in Paris.

From Reuters ● Mar. 23, 2023

My first time at the Voice, in 1966, was a fluke typical of the overnight mobilities of life and work in New York then.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2018

He has studied in a very ingenious manner, not only the mobilities, but also the law of recombination which regulates the spontaneous return of the gas to its normal state.

From The New Physics and Its Evolution by Lucien Poincaré

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Related Words

• flexibility
• maneuverability

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