mobility
noun
mo·bil·i·ty
mō-ˈbi-lə-tē
1
: the quality or state of being mobile or movable
… its efforts were supported by the cavalry which … compensated for the infantry's lack of mobility.—R. M. Ogorkiewicz
… it becomes cost-effective and socially advantageous to provide urban mobility by means of metros: urban rail mass transit systems on exclusive rights-of-way.—Michael A Niedzielski et al.
: ability or capacity to move
… the physical challenges of vision loss, hearing loss, and reduced mobility.—Vicki Bloom and Benjamin B. Green-Field
When large doses of steroids restored mobility, they also created irritability, insatiable appetite, and facial hair …—Whitney Scott
2
: the ability to change one's social or socioeconomic position in a community and especially to improve it
A large body of academic research shows that inequality and lack of social mobility hurt not just those at the bottom; they hurt everyone.—Rana Foroohar
The mythology of the American Dream has made it difficult to start a serious conversation about how to create more opportunity in our society, since many of us still believe that our mobility is the result of our elbow grease and nothing more.—Rana Foroohar
see also upward mobility
Cite this Entry
“Mobility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mobility. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
