mobility
Americannoun
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the ability to move physically
a knee operation has restricted his mobility
mobility is part of physical education
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sociol (of individuals or social groups) movement within or between classes and occupations See also vertical mobility horizontal mobility
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time that a resident of a secure unit is allowed to spend outside the unit, as preparation for an eventual return to society
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mobility
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English mobilite, from Latin mōbilitās. See mobile, -ity
Compare meaning
How does mobility compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing mobility
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Out of My Mind
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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:
But at the same time, many jobs in the private sector don’t offer the job security, pay or upward mobility that young Indians are seeking at the start of their working lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Despite the potential benefits, the researchers note that climbing stairs may not be appropriate for everyone, especially people with mobility limitations or joint conditions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
“We look forward to bringing the same mobility and safety benefits millions of Californians already enjoy to more communities, keeping local officials and residents informed every step of the way,” Waymo said in its announcement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
She says finding available taxis has become more difficult, even with London Taxicard scheme, a subsidised taxi service for people with mobility impairments or severe sight loss.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
One surprising finding about mobility is that it is not higher in the United States than in Britain or France.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Climate mobilities, while presenting benefits, also pose significant challenges.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2024
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
"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
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.
