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

Morgan Stanley has divided the companies into seven categories: raw materials, alloys, propulsion, electronics, parts, launch systems, and satellite operators.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

However, the Orion spacecraft experienced issues with helium valves on Orion’s propulsion system, which helps the crew navigate in space.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Its service module, providing propulsion and power, was developed by the European Space Agency, with Airbus serving as lead contractor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Additionally, the moon is home to water ice, which can be used for rocket propulsion, as well as rare earth minerals such as lithium, platinum and other materials critical to electronics and clean energy technology.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

I doubted the usefulness of these oars as a means of propulsion.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel