movement
gb/mˈuvmənt/ us/mˈuvmənt/
A2
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
act of moving
When something or someone changes place or position.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something]'s movement
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'movement' with 'move'; 'movement' is the noun form, not the verb.
Synonyms
motion (Refers broadly to the action of moving; often interchangeable in physical contexts.)
Antonyms
stillness (Describes the absence of any movement.)
Collocations
slow movement
|rapid movement
|body movement
|movement of goods
|movement in the crowd
Themes
daily life
|sports
|travel
|core_vocabulary
|space
Examples
- The sudden movement of the car startled the pedestrians.
- Her graceful movements impressed the dance judges.
- Security cameras recorded every movement in the store.
- The movement of the clouds indicated a change in weather.
Learner examples
- The cat made a quick movement.
- I saw a movement in the trees.
- He made a small hand movement.
- There was no movement in the room.
Noun
B1
entity
2
organized group for cause
A group of people who work together to make a change in society.
Usage pattern:
[a/an/the] [adjective] movement
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'movement' here with physical motion; context usually shows it's about people and causes.
Synonyms
campaign (A planned series of actions toward a goal; often shorter-term than 'movement'.)
Antonyms
opposition (A group that works against a movement's goals.)
Collocations
civil rights movement
|environmental movement
|grassroots movement
|political movement
Themes
politics
|society
|relationships
Examples
- The feminist movement has achieved many legal reforms.
- They joined the environmental movement to fight climate change.
- The civil rights movement transformed American society.
- A new political movement is gaining popularity among young voters.
Learner examples
- The peace movement wants no more war.
- He is part of a student movement.
- The workers started a new movement.
- Many people joined the green movement.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
3
part of a musical work
One part of a long piece of music, like in a symphony.
Usage pattern:
[first/second/etc.] movement of [composition]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with physical motion; in music it refers to part of a composition.
Synonyms
section (A general term for part of something; less specific to music.)
Collocations
first movement
|slow movement
|final movement
Themes
music
|arts_entertainment
|education
Examples
- The first movement of the symphony is very lively.
- She prefers the slow movements in classical works.
- Each movement in the concerto tells a story.
Learner examples
- The first movement is fast.
- I like the slow movement best.
- This piece has four movements.
Noun
B2
state
4
progress toward goal
Change or progress towards something new or better.
Usage pattern:
movement towards [goal]
Synonyms
progress (General forward development; can be broader than 'movement'.)
Antonyms
stagnation (Lack of progress or development.)
Collocations
movement towards reform
|no movement on the issue
Themes
business
|politics
|core_vocabulary
|time
Examples
- There has been little movement on the peace talks.
- We saw rapid movement towards digital transformation.
- The negotiations showed some positive movement.
Learner examples
- There is no movement on this plan.
- We see some movement in talks.
- The company made quick movement toward change.
Grammar
Dictionary form
movement
IPA
GB/mˈuvmənt/
US/mˈuvmənt/
Syllables & stress
move - ment (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (move)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: movement
- Plural: movement, movements
Word family
Expressions
artistic movement
1/ɑɹtˈɪstɪk mˈuvmənt/
fixed phrase
style trend in art
A style in art that many artists follow for some time.
Examples
- Impressionism was an important artistic movement in the 19th century.
- Cubism is an artistic movement that changed painting forever.
social movement
1/sˈoʊʃəl mˈuvmənt/
fixed phrase
group for social change
A large group of people working to make changes in society.
Examples
- The civil rights era saw many social movements.
- Climate action is now a global social movement.
freedom of movement
1/fɹˈidəm əv mˈuvmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
right to travel freely
The right to go where you want without being stopped by laws or rules.
Examples
- Citizens are guaranteed freedom of movement within the country.
- The new law restricts freedom of movement for certain groups.
freedom of movement
2/fɹˈidəm əv mˈuvmənt/
fixed phrase
Right to travel freely
The right to go where you want inside a country or between countries.
Examples
- Freedom of movement is guaranteed by law in many places.
- Tourists enjoy freedom of movement across the region.