mobile

1 of 3

adjective

1
: capable of moving or being moved : movable
a mobile missile launcher
a mobile laboratory
2
a
: changeable in appearance, mood, or purpose
mobile face
b
: adaptable, versatile
an organization mobile enough to be able to cope with any emergency
3
: migratory
a mobile society of nomadic herders
4
a
: characterized by the mixing of social groups
the general confusion in moral standards which characterizes mobile societiesE. R. Mowrer
b
: having the opportunity for or undergoing a shift in status within the levels of a society
socially mobile workers
5
: marked by the use of vehicles for transportation
mobile warfare
6
: of or relating to a mobile
A mobile art work hung from the ceiling.
7
a(1)
: cellular sense 3
a mobile phone
(2)
: of, relating to, or being a computing device (such as a smartphone or tablet) that is capable of being connected wirelessly to the Internet and is typically used for online browsing, watching videos, playing games, reading books, etc.
a mobile video player/e-reader
b
: designed or intended to run on a mobile device
mobile apps/games
c
: taking place on or utilizing a mobile device
mobile gaming/streaming

mobile

2 of 3

noun

mo·​bile ˈmō-ˌbēl How to pronounce mobile (audio)
1
: a construction or sculpture frequently of wire and sheet metal shapes with parts that can be set in motion by air currents
also : a similar structure (as of paper or plastic) suspended so that it moves in a current of air
2

-mobile

3 of 3

noun combining form

1
: motorized vehicle
snowmobile
2
: automotive vehicle bringing services to the public
bloodmobile
bookmobile

Examples of mobile in a Sentence

Adjective Their armies are now fully mobile. a mobile kitchen that helps bring food to homeless people Noun They hung a mobile over the baby's bed. Even if I'm out of the office you can reach me on my mobile.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The proposal also calls for changes to the Android mobile operating system—which the DOJ identifies as another key vector for Google’s search dominance—including restrictions that prevent it from favoring the company’s own search engine and ad provider. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 The mobile billboard wheeled into Indianapolis this week to mark the opening of the first L.L. Bean store in the state. Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
Currently, few traditional banks offer these popular alternatives, in part because their outdated platforms lack the centralized data consolidation necessary to easily add and support additional payment types and channels (e.g., web, mobile). Danny Shader, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Any first-time traveler to Asia will be struck by a combination of mobile and digital wallet technology that’s a generation ahead of places like the U.S., where cash and paper checks are still common. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Asia, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mobile 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English mobyll, from Anglo-French moble, from Latin mobilis, from movēre to move

Noun combining form

automobile

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mobile was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mobile

Cite this Entry

“Mobile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mobile. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

mobile

1 of 2 adjective
mo·​bile ˈmō-bəl How to pronounce mobile (audio) -ˌbēl How to pronounce mobile (audio)
-ˌbīl
1
: capable of moving or being moved : movable entry 1
2
: changing quickly in expression
a mobile face
3
: easily moved
mobile troops
4
: tending to travel or migrate from place to place : migratory
mobile workers
5
: characterized by movement from one social class to another
a mobile society
6
mobility noun

mobile

2 of 2 noun
mo·​bile ˈmō-ˌbēl How to pronounce mobile (audio)
: an artistic structure that is moved easily or that has parts easily moved (as by a current of air)

Medical Definition

mobile

adjective
mo·​bile ˈmō-bəl How to pronounce mobile (audio) -ˌbīl How to pronounce mobile (audio)
1
: capable of moving or being moved about readily
globular proteins that are mobile and rod-shaped proteins that form solid structures
the tongue … is clearly the most mobile articulatorG. A. Miller
2
: characterized by an extreme degree of fluidity
ether and mercury are mobile liquids
mobility noun
plural mobilities

Geographical Definition

Mobile

geographical name

Mo·​bile mō-ˈbēl How to pronounce Mobile (audio)
ˈmō-ˌbēl
1
river 38 miles (61 kilometers) long in southwestern Alabama formed by the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers and flowing south into Mobile Bay (an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico)
2
city and port at the point where the Mobile River enters Mobile Bay in southwestern Alabama population 195,111

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