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

Aerojet Rocketdyne—now part of L3Harris—struck an agreement with the Defense Department to invest in new manufacturing facilities for rocket propulsion systems.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

The Navy hasn’t used nuclear propulsion for its surface warships since the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 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

Electric propulsion systems are far more efficient than traditional chemical rockets, using up to 90% less propellant.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

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

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel