social mobility

American  

[soh-shuhl moh-bil-i-tee] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl moʊˈbɪl ɪ ti /

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.

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social mobility Cultural  

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

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

Etymology

Origin of social mobility

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social mobility

It has knock-on effects that can distort the economy, politics and social mobility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

"And this desire to move is not just physical mobility," it is also "a kind of drive toward economic mobility and above all social mobility," he said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026

The study also raises difficult questions about social mobility and public policy.

From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026

In March, the Conservative MP Charlie Dewhirst, who represents Bridlington and the Wolds, called on the government to publish a strategy to improve social mobility for young white men living in poorer communities.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

In earlier decades, persons newly successful and ambitious for social mobility similarly seized upon certain ‘family words.’

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez