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

Examples of mobility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fraudsters who take advantage of the insurance environment in New York must not create another roadblock to affordability or economic mobility. —Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 8 June 2025

India's success in high-speed rail, if completed, could indicate increasing competitiveness and adoption of green mobility in large emerging economies. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025

In some Latin American countries, a valid U.S. visa is often a gateway to mobility. —Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025

Andrew Macdonald, head of mobility, was promoted to president and chief operating officer, Uber’s first since 2019. —Jasmine Wu,deirdre Bosa, CNBC, 4 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mobility

• micro-mobility
• mobility scooter
• upward mobility

Rhymes for mobility

• ability
• agility
• civility
• debility
• docility
• ductility
• facility
• fertility
• fragility
• futility
• gentility
• hostility