momentum

noun

Saymoh-MEN-tuhm/ˌmoʊˈmɛntəm/UK/ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/AUS/ˌməʉˈmentəm/

4 meanings of momentum

1
noununcountable
The push or force that keeps something moving, or that keeps an idea or events going forward.
Like a ball rolling downhill that keeps going faster on its own.
The campaign gained momentum after the televised debate.
Once the boulder started rolling, its momentum carried it down the slope.
Similarimpetus, drive, energy
Note
2
noununcountable
The force something builds up as it keeps moving.
Like a shopping cart that gets harder to stop the faster it rolls.
A heavy truck builds tremendous momentum on a long downhill road.
The sled lost its momentum as soon as it reached the flat ground.
Similarspeed, impetus
Note
3
noununcountable
How hard a moving object is to stop, based on how heavy it is and how fast it moves.
Like how a big truck is harder to stop than a bicycle going the same speed.
A bowling ball has more momentum than a tennis ball moving at the same speed.
The faster the car moves, the more momentum it has.
Note
4
noununcountable
In trading, the idea that a price moving strongly in one direction will keep going that way.
Like jumping on a bandwagon because everyone else already is.
Many traders chase momentum, buying shares that are already climbing fast.
The stock lost momentum once its earnings disappointed investors.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of momentum apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word comes from the Latin word "mōmentum". It is related to the words "moment" and "movement".