move
moov
Move (verb) means to change position or location. Example: “Please move your car — it's blocking the driveway.”
verb
1
To change position or location.
"Please move your car — it's blocking the driveway."
"The dancers moved gracefully across the stage."
"Don't move, or the photo will come out blurry."
2
To relocate to a new home, job, or place of business.
"The shop will move to bigger premises on the high street next month."
"I would like to move closer to my parents when I retire."
"They moved to Manchester for her new job."
3
To cause strong emotion in someone.
"The speech moved the entire audience to tears."
"The old film moved me more than I expected it would."
"Her letter moved him so deeply that he read it twice."
4
To formally propose something at a meeting.
"She moved that the committee adjourn for the evening."
"I move that we postpone the vote until the next meeting."
"He moved that the minutes of the last meeting be approved."
noun
1
An act of changing position, or a step taken toward a goal.
"Quitting his job was a bold move."
"The company's next move is to expand overseas."
"Checkmate came after one clever move from the younger player."
How to use move
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo change place, change residence, cause emotion, or propose something formally — plus the noun for any of those actions.
Common pairings
move house
move on
a smart move
moved to tears
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like move.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- moves
- Third person singular
- moves
- Past tense
- moved
- Archaic forms
- movest, movedst, moveth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Please _____ your car — it's blocking the driveway.
Etymology
From Old French mover, ultimately from Latin movēre, "to move." It largely replaced the older native English word "stir" in this sense.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for move
See all rhymes for move →Frequently asked questions
What does “move” mean?
The word “move” means to change position or location. In plain terms, to change place, change residence, cause emotion, or propose something formally — plus the noun for any of those actions.
How do you pronounce “move”?
“Move” is pronounced moov (/muːv/ in IPA).
How do you use “move” in a sentence?
Here is “move” used in a sentence: “Please move your car — it's blocking the driveway.”
What is another word for “move”?
Words with a similar meaning to “move” include budge, interchange, rearrange, redistribute, relocate and shift.
What part of speech is “move”?
Depending on how it is used, “move” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “move” come from?
The word “move” comes from Latin. From Old French mover, ultimately from Latin movēre, "to move." It largely replaced the older native English word "stir" in this sense.
Is “move” a common word?
“Move” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “move” have?
“Move” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to change position or location.
What is the difference between 'move' and 'motion'?
Move is usually a verb - the act of changing position ('please move your car'). Motion is the noun naming that change ('the motion of the waves'). You move something, and the result is its motion. Move can also be a noun, as in 'a smart move,' but motion is rarely a verb.
What does it mean to 'move' someone emotionally?
Besides changing position, 'move' can mean to stir strong feelings. A moving film or speech touches the heart and may bring tears. In this sense, being 'moved' means being emotionally affected - your feelings shift, even though your body stays perfectly still.
What is the difference between 'move' and 'relocate'?
Both mean to change location, but relocate is more formal and specific - it usually means moving a home, business, or job to a new area. You can move a cup across a table, but you relocate to another city. Move is the broad, everyday word; relocate suggests a bigger, more permanent shift.
What are some other meanings of 'move'?
'Move' is versatile. It can mean to take action ('let's move on this plan'), to propose formally in a meeting ('I move that we vote'), to change home, or to make progress ('things are moving quickly'). All share the core idea of changing from one state or place to another.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include move:
