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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

motion.

A change whereby something goes from one place to another; a state of progression from one place to another; a change of position with respect to time.

6 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈməʊ.ʃən/Received-Pronunciation/ˈmoʊ.ʃən/General-American
  1. A change whereby something goes from one place to another; a state of progression from one place to another; a change of position with respect to time.

    countable · uncountable
  2. A parliamentary action to propose something. A similar procedure in any official or business meeting.

    countable
    The motion to amend is now open for discussion.
  3. An entertainment or show, especially a puppet show.

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
  4. from κίνησις (kinesis); any change. Traditionally of four types: generation and corruption, alteration, augmentation and diminution, and change of place.

    countable · uncountable
  5. Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or impulse to any action; internal activity.

    countable · uncountable
  6. A formal request, oral or written, made to a judge or court of law to obtain an official court ruling or order for a legal action to be taken by, or on behalf of, the movant.

    countable · uncountable
  7. A movement of the bowels; the product of such movement.

    countable · euphemistic · uncountable
  8. Change of pitch in successive sounds, whether in the same part or in groups of parts. (Conjunct motion is that by single degrees of the scale. Contrary motion is when parts move in opposite directions. Disjunct motion is motion by skips. Oblique motion is when one part is stationary while another moves. Similar or direct motion is when parts move in the same direction.)

    countable · uncountable
  9. A puppet, or puppet show.

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
  10. A piece of moving mechanism, such as on a steam locomotive.

    countable · uncountable
  11. Success; achievements, especially those that others cannot match.

    slang · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Inherited from Middle English mocioun, mocion, from Anglo-Norman motion, Middle French motion, and their etymon Latin mōtiō (“movement, motion”), related to movēre, from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- (“to move”).

verb/ˈməʊ.ʃən/Received-Pronunciation/ˈmoʊ.ʃən/General-American
  1. To gesture indicating a desired movement.

    He motioned for me to come closer.
    Mom motioned me over and ordered me to sit by her side.
  2. To introduce a motion in parliamentary procedure.

    proscribed
  3. To make a proposal; to offer plans.

Where this word comes from

Inherited from Middle English mocioun, mocion, from Anglo-Norman motion, Middle French motion, and their etymon Latin mōtiō (“movement, motion”), related to movēre, from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- (“to move”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.