moment
Americannoun
-
an indefinitely short period of time; instant.
I'll be with you in a moment.
-
Usually the moment the present time or any other particular time.
He is busy at the moment.
-
a definite period or stage, as in a course of events; juncture.
at this moment in history.
-
importance or consequence.
a decision of great moment.
- Synonyms:
- momentousness, magnitude, weight, significance
-
a particular time or period of success, excellence, fame, etc..
His big moment came in the final game.
-
Statistics. the mean or expected value of the product formed by multiplying together a set of one or more variates or variables each to a specified power.
-
Philosophy.
-
an aspect of a thing.
-
Obsolete. an essential or constituent factor.
-
-
Mechanics.
-
a tendency to produce motion, especially about an axis.
-
the product of a physical quantity and its directed distance from an axis.
moment of area; moment of mass.
-
noun
-
a short indefinite period of time
he'll be here in a moment
-
a specific instant or point in time
at that moment the doorbell rang
-
the present point of time
at the moment it's fine
-
import, significance, or value
a man of moment
-
physics
-
a tendency to produce motion, esp rotation about a point or axis
-
the product of a physical quantity, such as force or mass, and its distance from a fixed reference point See also moment of inertia
-
-
statistics the mean of a specified power of the deviations of all the values of a variable in its frequency distribution. The power of the deviations indicates the order of the moment and the deviations may be from the origin (giving a moment about the origin ) or from the mean (giving a moment about the mean )
Related Words
See minute 1. See importance.
Etymology
Origin of moment
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin mōmentum “motion, cause of motion,” hence, “influence, importance, essential factor, moment of time,” from movimentum (unattested), equivalent to mō- (variant stem of the verb movēre move ) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
A moment is a particular point in time. Some moments you remember forever: like the moment you earned your driver's license or the moment you learned that you passed your organic chemistry class. A moment is a short, but unspecified, amount of time. At Thanksgiving, you are supposed to take a moment to be grateful for friends and family. Or maybe you have been asked to observe a "moment of silence" for a national tragedy. Moment can also mean "importance." If you say something is "of little moment," then you are saying it doesn't matter.
Vocabulary lists containing moment
Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Middle School
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!
Words Coined or Popularized by Presidents
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!
Mechanical Engineering
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.
Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper’s live performance from 2010 is particularly enlightening: the audience becomes audibly excited the moment they recognize the song’s iconic piano hook, a scene that demonstrates “Sunshine’s” immortality.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
At minimum, the moment underscores how vulnerable even prominent satire has become to corporate and political power.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
A spokesperson said: "This is a hugely significant moment for Howletts and for the conservation of this extraordinary species."
From BBC • May 19, 2026
At the pivotal moment, Wembanyama even seemed to be channeling highlight reels, just for fun.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
He opens his mouth to say something, but at that moment, the muted thumping from inside amplifies when Zara steps out, and he doesn’t.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
