propulsion
Americannoun
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the act or process of propelling.
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the state of being propelled.
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a means of propelling; propelling force, impulse, etc.
noun
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the act of propelling or the state of being propelled
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a propelling force
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing propulsion
Power Prefix: pro
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Freak the Mighty
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The Wednesday Wars
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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.
A determination to get to the Red Planet “provides the impetus to really create next-level technologies, which is why we’re contemplating nuclear propulsion, because you need that to close those distances.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The Navy hasn’t used nuclear propulsion for its surface warships since the 1990s.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 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
Impulse’s president and COO, Eric Romo, was the 13th employee at SpaceX and worked on propulsion after joining the company in early 2003.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
John Mayer tackled orbital mechanics, Al Hamer lectured on rocket propulsion, and Alton Mayo handled reentry, the problems faced by an object returning to Earth.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
