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

Good schools are one benefit of wealthy communities that may improve social mobility even for children born into poverty, studies suggest. —Tom Kemeny, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025

The new, leaner DuPont will include water and its remaining healthcare, advanced mobility, and safety and production businesses. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025

Together, these policies form a complementary toolkit for cities striving to balance mobility, sustainability, and livability. —Regina Clewlow, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

Beyond social mobility, an invaluable outcome in its own right, higher education awakens you to the world and your role in it. —Ramiro Frausto, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mobility

• micro-mobility
• mobility scooter
• upward mobility