MOMENT Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

moment

[ moh-muhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an indefinitely short period of time; instant:
I'll be with you in a moment.
Synonyms: , , , ,
Usually the moment. the present time or any other particular time:
He is busy at the moment.
a definite period or stage, as in a course of events; juncture:
at this moment in history.
importance or consequence:
a decision of great moment.
Synonyms: , , ,
a particular time or period of success, excellence, fame, etc.:
His big moment came in the final game.
Statistics. the mean or expected value of the product formed by multiplying together a set of one or more variates or variables each to a specified power.
Philosophy.
1. an aspect of a thing.
2. Obsolete. an essential or constituent factor.
Mechanics.
1. a tendency to produce motion, especially about an axis.
2. the product of a physical quantity and its directed distance from an axis:
  moment of area; moment of mass.

moment

/ ˈ��əʊ��ə�Գ� /

noun

a short indefinite period of time
he'll be here in a moment
a specific instant or point in time
at that moment the doorbell rang
the moment
the present point of time
at the moment it's fine
import, significance, or value
a man of moment
physics
1. a tendency to produce motion, esp rotation about a point or axis
2. the product of a physical quantity, such as force or mass, and its distance from a fixed reference point See also moment of inertia
statistics the mean of a specified power of the deviations of all the values of a variable in its frequency distribution. The power of the deviations indicates the order of the moment and the deviations may be from the origin (giving a moment about the origin ) or from the mean (giving a moment about the mean )

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of moment¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin ��ō��Գٳܳ� “motion, cause of motion,” hence, “influence, importance, essential factor, moment of time,” from movimentum (unattested), equivalent to ��ō- (variant stem of the verb ��Ǳ�ŧ�� move ) + -mentum -ment

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of moment¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin ��ō��Գٳܳ�, from ��Ǳ�ŧ�� to move

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with moment , also see at this point (moment) ; every minute (moment) counts ; for the moment ; have one's moments ; just a minute (moment) ; live for the moment ; never a dull moment ; not for a moment ; of the moment ; on the spur of the moment ; weak moment .

Discover More

Synonym Study

See minute ¹. See importance.

Discover More

Example Sentences

“I’m beginning to think I was put here to tell a bigger truth. Our truth,” they narrate in one of their more grandiose moments.

From

This equipoise held for four very productive years, but there comes a moment in all love stories when one partner gets fidgety and starts to pull away.

From

“It forces you to be actively present in the moment. You have to enjoy it while it’s there,” he explains.

From

Those sportsmen brought dissent where it needed to be heard: in the face of power, during their brightest moments, at risk to their livelihoods.

From

“We may be in a moment of backlash and reaction right now, but that doesn't mean that there isn't hope in terms of fighting against that,” Sinha told Salon.

From

Related �y��vlogs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Browse