social mobility

[soh-shuhl moh-bil-i-tee]

noun

1. Sociology.,  the movement of people in a population, as from place to place, from job to job, or from one social class or level to another.

social mobility

1. The ability of individuals or groups to move upward or downward in status based on wealth, occupation, education, or some other social variable.

American society operates on the principle that an individual's achievements can be rewarded by upward social mobility.

Word History and Origins

Origin of social mobility¹

First recorded in 1925–30