Motion vs. Movement — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 6, 2023
Motion is the act or process of changing place or position, while Movement is the act of moving or a group with shared aims. Both involve change in position but can differ in context.
Difference Between Motion and Movement
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
From a linguistic standpoint, while both Motion and Movement refer to the act of moving, Motion can often be more about the process, and Movement more about the action. Motion might be seen as the potential or capability to move, while Movement is the realization of that potential.
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When we think of Motion, it might also refer to a proposal made in a formal setting, such as a court or a legislative body. For example, "The senator made a motion to adjourn." Movement, in a societal context, would refer to a group of people with shared aims, like the Civil Rights Movement.
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Lastly, while both words can be used in many overlapping contexts, it's the subtle nuances and specific contexts that differentiate them. Motion might be a single act or process, while Movement could be a series of motions or a collective effort towards a specific goal.
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Motion is a broader term that signifies any type of change in position or place. Whether it's the rotation of the Earth or the swing of a pendulum, Motion encompasses it. Movement, meanwhile, often implies a specific direction or purpose, such as the movement of troops or the movement of a ballet dancer.
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In physics, Motion typically refers to the change in position of an object relative to a point of reference. It's a fundamental concept studied in depth. Movement, in a similar scientific context, might be used to describe specific patterns or types of Motion, like the movement of a planet around the sun.
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Comparison Chart
Context
Broader term for change in position.
Specific direction/purpose or a group with shared aims.
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In Physics
Change in position relative to a reference.
Patterns or types of motion (e.g., planetary movement).
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Formal Setting
A proposal (e.g., in a court).
Not typically used in this manner.
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Societal Use
Not usually used to refer to societal groups.
Group of people with shared aims (e.g., social movement).
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Linguistic Nuance
More about the process.
More about the action or realization of motion.
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Definitions
Motion
In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position over time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed, and time.
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Motion
The act of moving from one place to another.
The motion of the waves was mesmerizing.
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Movement
A shift from one note or chord to another in music.
The movement in the symphony was intense and emotional.
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Motion
A formal proposal put to a legislative or judicial body.
He presented a motion to dismiss the case.
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Movement
The inner workings of a mechanical device (e.g., watch).
The watch's movement was expertly crafted.
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Motion
Used in physics to describe change in position.
Newton's laws describe the relationship between forces and motion.
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Movement
A change in position or location.
The movement of the planets is predictable.
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Motion
Refers to the potential or capability to move.
The machine was in motion all night.
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Movement
An act of moving
A slight movement of the body
The free movement of labour
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Motion
The action or process of moving or being moved
A cushioned shoe that doesn't restrict motion
The laws of planetary motion
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Movement
A change or development
The movement towards greater sexual equality
Movements in the underlying financial markets
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Motion
A formal proposal put to a legislature or committee
Opposition parties tabled a no-confidence motion
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Movement
A group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas
The labour movement
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Motion
An evacuation of the bowels
73% of the patients had fewer than three bowel motions a day
Her mother put on her nappy for her to pass a motion
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Movement
A principal division of a longer musical work, self-sufficient in terms of key, tempo, and structure
The slow movement of his violin concerto
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Motion
Direct or command (someone) with a movement of the hand or head
He motioned Dennis to a plush chair
He motioned the young officer to sit down
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Motion
Propose for discussion and resolution at a meeting or legislative assembly
A resolution, motioned by Adam Tyler, proposed that members without a CCL could still belong to the association
Councillor Byrne motioned that the committee call on the area manager to install street lighting
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Motion
A meaningful or expressive change in the position of the body or a part of the body; a gesture.
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Movement
A change in the location of troops, ships, or aircraft for tactical or strategic purposes.
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Movement
A series of actions and events taking place over a period of time and working to foster a principle or policy
A movement toward world peace.
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Movement
An organized effort by supporters of a common goal
A leader of the labor movement.
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Motion
A prompting from within; an impulse or inclination
Resigned of her own motion.
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Movement
The suggestion or illusion of motion in a painting, sculpture, or design.
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Motion
A mechanical device or piece of machinery that moves or causes motion; a mechanism.
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Movement
(Linguistics) In generative grammar, a transformation in which a constituent in one part of a syntactic structure is copied or displaced into a different location, creating a new structure.
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Movement
A mechanism, such as the works of a watch, that produces or transmits motion.
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Movement
Physical motion between points in space.
I saw a movement in that grass on the hill.
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Movement
(engineering) A system or mechanism for transmitting motion of a definite character, or for transforming motion, such as the wheelwork of a watch.
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Movement
A trend in various fields or social categories, a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals
The labor movement has been struggling in America since the passage of the Taft-Hartley act in 1947.
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Motion
(countable) A parliamentary action to propose something. A similar procedure in any official or business meeting.
The motion to amend is now open for discussion.
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Movement
(music) A large division of a larger composition.
Beethoven's movements
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Motion
(philosophy) from κίνησις (kinesis); any change. Traditionally of four types: generation and corruption, alteration, augmentation and diminution, and change of place.
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Movement
(aviation) An instance of an aircraft taking off or landing.
Albuquerque International Sunport serviced over 200,000 movements last year.
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Motion
Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or impulse to any action; internal activity.
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Movement
(baseball) The deviation of a pitch from ballistic flight.
The movement on his cutter was devastating.
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Motion
(law) 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.
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Movement
(bridge) A pattern in which pairs change opponents and boards move from table to table in duplicate bridge.
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Motion
(euphemistic) A movement of the bowels; the product of such movement.
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Motion
(music) 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.)
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Movement
The act of moving in space; change of place or posture; motion; as, the movement of an army in marching or maneuvering; the movement of a wheel or a machine.
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Motion
(mechanical engineering) A piece of moving mechanism, such as on a steam locomotive.
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Movement
Manner or style of moving; as, a slow, or quick, or sudden, movement.
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Motion
To gesture indicating a desired movement.
He motioned for me to come closer.
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Movement
Transference, by any means, from one situation to another; a change of situation; progress toward a goal; advancement; as, after months of fruitless discussion there was finally some movement toward an agreement.
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Motion
The act, process, or state of changing place or position; movement; the passing of a body from one place or position to another, whether voluntary or involuntary; - opposed to rest.
Speaking or mute, all comeliness and graceattends thee, and each word, each motion, forms.
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Movement
A system of mechanism for transmitting motion of a definite character, or for transforming motion; as, the wheelwork of a watch; as, a seventeen jewel movement.
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Movement
A more or less organized effort by many people to achieve some goal, especially a social or artistic goal; as, the women's liberation movement; the progressive movement in architecture.
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Motion
Direction of movement; course; tendency; as, the motion of the planets is from west to east.
In our proper motion we ascend.
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Movement
A change of position that does not entail a change of location;
The reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise
Movement is a sign of life
An impatient move of his hand
Gastrointestinal motility
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Motion
Change in the relative position of the parts of anything; action of a machine with respect to the relative movement of its parts.
This is the great wheel to which the clock owes its motion.
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Movement
A natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
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Motion
Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or impulse to any action; internal activity.
Let a good man obey every good motion rising in his heart, knowing that every such motion proceeds from God.
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Movement
The act of changing location from one place to another;
Police controlled the motion of the crowd
The movement of people from the farms to the cities
His move put him directly in my path
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Motion
A proposal or suggestion looking to action or progress; esp., a formal proposal made in a deliberative assembly; as, a motion to adjourn.
Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion.
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Movement
A group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals;
He was a charter member of the movement
Politicians have to respect a mass movement
He led the national liberation front
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Motion
An application made to a court or judge orally in open court. Its object is to obtain an order or rule directing some act to be done in favor of the applicant.
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Movement
A major self-contained part of a symphony or sonata;
The second movement is slow and melodic
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Motion
Change of pitch in successive sounds, whether in the same part or in groups of parts.
The independent motions of different parts sounding together constitute counterpoint.
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Movement
A series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end;
He supported populist campaigns
They worked in the cause of world peace
The team was ready for a drive toward the pennant
The movement to end slavery
Contributed to the war effort
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Movement
An optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object;
The cinema relies on apparent motion
The succession of flashing lights gave an illusion of movement
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Motion
To make a significant movement or gesture, as with the hand; as, to motion to one to take a seat.
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Movement
A general tendency to change (as of opinion);
Not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book
A broad movement of the electorate to the right
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Motion
To direct or invite by a motion, as of the hand or head; as, to motion one to a seat.
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Movement
The driving and regulating parts of a mechanism (as of a watch or clock);
It was an expensive watch with a diamond movement
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Movement
The act of changing the location of something;
The movement of cargo onto the vessel
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Motion
A natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
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Movement
A group of people with shared aims.
The Civil Rights Movement changed history.
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Motion
The use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
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Motion
A change of position that does not entail a change of location;
The reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise
Movement is a sign of life
An impatient move of his hand
Gastrointestinal motility
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Motion
A formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly for discussion and vote;
He made a motion to adjourn
She called for the question
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Motion
The act of changing location from one place to another;
Police controlled the motion of the crowd
The movement of people from the farms to the cities
His move put him directly in my path
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Motion
An optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object;
The cinema relies on apparent motion
The succession of flashing lights gave an illusion of movement
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Motion
Show, express or direct through movement;
He gestured his desire to leave
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Motion
The action or process of moving or being moved.
The motion of the pendulum kept time.
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FAQs
How is Motion used in physics?
In physics, Motion describes the change in position of an object relative to a reference point.
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Is every Movement a Motion?
While both involve change in position, not every Movement is a Motion. Motion is broader, while Movement has specific or directed implications.
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Can Motion refer to a proposal?
Yes, Motion can refer to a formal proposal in settings like courts or legislative bodies.
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How does Movement relate to music?
In music, Movement can refer to a shift from one note or chord to another or a section in a larger composition.
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What might Movement mean in a dance context?
In dance, Movement refers to the act of moving or a sequence of moves, showcasing artistry and technique.
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What does Movement mean in a societal context?
In a societal context, Movement often refers to a group of people with shared aims, like the Civil Rights Movement.
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Are both terms interchangeable?
Though overlapping in some contexts, they have nuances and specific uses that make them distinct.
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Can Movement refer to the workings of a watch?
Yes, the term "Movement" can refer to the inner workings or mechanism of a watch.
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Is the motion of an object always visible?
No, some motions, like molecular motion, aren't visible to the naked eye but can be detected using tools.
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How do Motion and Movement differ linguistically?
Motion often emphasizes the process of moving, while Movement emphasizes the action or realization of the move.
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Can Movement refer to progress?
Yes, phrases like "make a movement" can imply progress or advancement in a particular area.
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Can Motion be static?
While Motion implies movement, in certain contexts, like "set in motion," it might refer to initiating a process that will lead to movement.
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What denotes a Movement in literature?
In literature, a Movement refers to a significant shift or trend in style, theme, or philosophy, like the Romantic Movement.
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Which term, Motion or Movement, is broader in application?
Motion is generally broader, encompassing various contexts of change in position, while Movement often has specific or directed implications.
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Can Motion be used to describe emotions?
Metaphorically, yes. Phrases like "emotion set in motion" can describe the beginning of an emotional process.
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Author Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
