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View synonyms for momentum

momentum

[ moh-men-tuhm ]

noun

, plural mo·men·ta [moh-, men, -t, uh], mo·men·tums.
  1. force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events:

    The car gained momentum going downhill. Her career lost momentum after two unsuccessful films.

  2. Also called linear momentum. Mechanics. a quantity expressing the motion of a body or system, equal to the product of the mass of a body and its velocity, and for a system equal to the vector sum of the products of mass and velocity of each particle in the system.
  3. Philosophy. moment ( def 7 ).


momentum

/ məʊˈmɛntəm /

noun

  1. physics the product of a body's mass and its velocity p See also angular momentum
  2. the impetus of a body resulting from its motion
  3. driving power or strength
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


momentum

/ mō-mĕntəm /

, Plural momenta

  1. A vector quantity that expresses the relation of the velocity of a body, wave, field, or other physical system, to its energy. The direction of the momentum of a single object indicates the direction of its motion. Momentum is a conserved quantity (it remains constant unless acted upon by an outside force), and is related by Noether's theorem to translational invariance . In classical mechanics, momentum is defined as mass times velocity. The theory of Special Relativity uses the concept of relativistic mass . The momentum of photons, which are massless, is equal to their energy divided by the speed of light. In quantum mechanics, momentum more generally refers to a mathematical operator applied to the wave equation describing a physical system and corresponding to an observable ; solutions to the equation using this operator provide the vector quantity traditionally called momentum. In all of these applications, momentum is sometimes called linear momentum.


momentum

  1. In physics , the property or tendency of a moving object to continue moving. For an object moving in a line , the momentum is the mass of the object multiplied by its velocity (linear momentum); thus, a slowly moving, very massive body and a rapidly moving, light body can have the same momentum. ( See Newton's laws of motion .)


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Notes

Figuratively, momentum can refer to the tendency of a person or group to repeat recent success: “The Bears definitely have momentum after scoring those last two touchdowns.”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of momentum1

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin mōmentum; moment
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Word History and Origins

Origin of momentum1

C17: from Latin: movement; see moment
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Example Sentences

“Investors have a view that the EV market in China has reached a turning point, with the momentum growing around Tesla,” says Bill Russo, founder and CEO of Automobility, a Shanghai-based investment advisory that focuses on mobility.

From Fortune

The push for legalization gained momentum in New Jersey in 2011, when voters there passed a non-binding referendum in favor.

The momentum is showing little sign of easing in the third quarter.

From Ozy

For now, though, the market’s momentum remains on a gentle upward slope.

From Fortune

Mismatched vectors, like the z direction vector paired with the y momentum vector, form parallelograms with an area of zero.

In conversation, her ideas emerge at a roiling boil that often takes on a momentum of its own.

But in 2014, numerous states passed common-sense public safety laws, showing that the momentum for gun safety is building.

Currency problems are procyclical, which is to say that they create their own momentum.

But after Rolling Stone's rape story debacle, how much momentum does the call to ban fraternities have left?

Doing three in a row got a momentum going and I want to keep that momentum going.

He rose upon it, it was under him, he felt its lift and irresistible momentum; almost it bore him up the steps.

This most simple steam-engine combined in the greatest degree the two elements of expansion and momentum.

The principle of expansive working and momentum of moving parts was of necessity modified in its application to pump-work.

It was a kind of incredible performance, half on earth and half in the air: it rushed with such impetuous momentum.

But momentum was sufficient to carry Jeff Weedham's roadster out onto the road.

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