propulsion

American  

[pruh-puhl-shuhn] / prəˈpʌl ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of propelling.

2. the state of being propelled.

3. a means of propelling; propelling force, impulse, etc.

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propulsion British  

/ prəˈpʌlʃən, prəˈpʌlsɪv /

noun

1. the act of propelling or the state of being propelled

2. a propelling force

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Other Word Forms

• propulsive
  adjective
• propulsory
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of propulsion

1605–15; < Latin prōpuls ( us ) (past participle of prōpellere to propel ) + -ion

Explanation

The act of moving something forward is called propulsion. Propulsion is the force that pushes a rocket into space, that sends a football spiraling toward a receiver's hands, and that moves a strongly kicking swimmer through the water. The noun propulsion came from the Latin prōpellere, "to push away." The modern meaning of propulsion meaning "the act of moving forward" was first recorded in 1799. In water, flippers, fins, and the wind can aid propulsion. In a general sense, if society is to move forward, we must stop using fossil fuels as our main means of propulsion.

Example Sentences

That includes Impulse Space, the startup founded by Tom Mueller, SpaceX’s first employee and head of propulsion, who spent close to 19 years at SpaceX.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

The company’s defense propulsion business, which accounts for about one-quarter of sales, is also booming, growing 19% year over year in the first quarter.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Funding comes from NASA's Space Nuclear Propulsion project, which began in 2020 to advance key technologies needed for megawatt-class nuclear electric propulsion systems.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

U.S. forces seized the MV Touska containership in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its propulsion after it violated a blockade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Nobody in the propulsion area was going to win anything.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam