move

MOOV/muːv/

Verbmoves, moving, moved

Noun pluralmoves

20 meanings of move

Practice

1
verbintransitive
To change where someone or something is, or how they are positioned.
Don't move until the doctor says you can.
Something moved in the bushes.
Similarstir, budge, shift, go (entry)
Oppositestop, stay, halt
Note
2
verbtransitive or intransitive
To go on to a new stage, subject, activity, area of work, or system, or to make something do the same.
That's enough about the weather, so let's move on to the next question.
Our office moved to a new computer system last spring.
UsageSay move on to the next thing, or move into a new job.
Similarswitch, shift, migrate
3
change homeverbintransitive
To go and live in a different house, town, or country.
They moved three times in two years.
When do you move?
UsageSay move to Paris, move here (not ~~incorrect: move to here~~).
Similarrelocate, shift, remove
Oppositestay, remain
4
decisionnouncountable
Something you do to get a result, often one step in a plan, that others may call smart or risky.
Cutting prices was a risky move.
The company's latest move surprised investors.
UsageSay a good move or a smart move.
Similarstep, action, tactic, maneuver, decision
5
practiced actionnouncountable
A practiced action or trick used in sport, dance, or fighting.
The wrestler's signature move won him the match.
She learned a few new moves at the dance class.
Similartechnique, maneuver, trick
6
stir feelingsverbtransitive
To make someone feel strong emotion, especially sadness or pity.
The film moved me to tears.
His letters still move her.
UsageSay I was moved by the film.
Similartouch, affect, trouble
Note
7
the relocationnouncountable
The event of changing where you live, with all the packing and carrying.
The move took two days and three trucks.
After the move, we lived among boxes for a month.
Similarrelocation, removal
8
job transfernouncountable
A change from one employer, team, or job to another.
His move to the rival firm was announced on Friday.
Her move from the bank to the startup surprised nobody.
UsageSay a move to a new club or company.
Similartransfer, switch
Note
9
verbintransitive
To start doing something, to take action, as in let's move.
If we don't move now, we'll lose the house.
The police moved quickly after the tip.
UsageOften move to + verb: The police moved to stop the fight.
Similarstir
Oppositewait, hesitate, delay
10
verbtransitive or intransitive
To formally ask a meeting or a court to discuss, vote on, or decide something.
I move that we adjourn.
She moved an amendment to the budget.
UsageSay I move that … to make a formal proposal.
Similarpropose, put forward
Note

Less common meanings

11
nouncountable
An act of moving, a single movement of the body or a thing.
One wrong move and the whole pile will fall.
The cat watched every move of the bird on the fence.
UsageUsually with make: make a move toward the door.
Similarmovement, motion, gesture
12
board game turnnouncountable
In a board game, one turn in which a player moves a piece.
Castling counts as a single move.
His best move was the rook sacrifice.
UsageSay It's your move: it is your turn.
Similarturn
Note
13
verbtransitive
In a board game, to shift a piece from one square or place to another.
She moved her bishop across the board.
You can't move the king into check.
Similarplay
Note
14
prompt to actverbtransitive
To make someone want to do something, or to urge them to do it.
What moved you to write to her?
Nothing will move him once he has decided.
UsageSay It moved me to act: it made me act.
Similarprompt, drive, induce, inspire, spur
Oppositedeter, discourage
Note
15
sellverbtransitive
To sell goods, especially to clear out stock fast, or in slang to sell illegal drugs.
The store needs to move last season's coats.
They moved two hundred units in a week.
UsageSay move stock: sell it.
Similarsell, shift, push, flog
Note
16
verbtransitive
In programming, to hand an object's contents to another place instead of copying them.
The function moves the vector rather than copying it.
In Rust, assigning a value can move it.
Note
17
syntaxnoununcountable
In linguistics, a basic operation that shifts a word or phrase to a new place in a sentence structure.
Move takes the wh-word to the front of the clause.
The theory allows only two operations, merge and move.
Note
18
verbobsoletetransitive
To bring up a question or a complaint, an obsolete use.
Similarmention, raise, reference
Note
19
verbobsoletetransitive
To ask someone for help or support, an obsolete use.
To me she speaks; she moves me for her them
c. 1594, William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”Here, moves means asks or appeals to someone for a favor.
Note
20
verbobsoleteintransitive
To bow or greet someone when meeting them, an obsolete use.
Note

Practice

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

Origin

It came from Latin movēre, meaning "to move," through Old French and Middle English. It mostly replaced the older English word "stir."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Latin origin through French and Middle English. en.wiktionary.org
Latin movēre means to move. en.wiktionary.org
Mostly replaced older English stir. en.wiktionary.org