1
a
: a minute portion or point of time : instant
a moment of dreadful suspense—
Graham Greene
Graham Greene
b
: a comparatively brief period of time
moments of solitude
2
a
: present time
at the moment she is at work on her fourth novel—Holiday
Holiday
b
: a time of excellence or conspicuousness
there's … some deliciously funny moments, but most of it is numbingly subtle—Jess Cagle
Jess Cagle3
: importance in influence or effect
decisions of moment must be made by our government—L. H. Evans
L. H. Evans4
obsolete
: a cause or motive of action
5
: a stage in historical or logical development
a document of one moment in the history of thought and sensibility in the nineteenth century—T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot6
a
: tendency or measure of tendency to produce motion especially about a point or axis
b
: the product of quantity (such as a force) and the distance to a particular axis or point
7
a
: the mean (see mean entry 4 sense 1b) of the nth powers of the deviations (see deviation sense b) of the observed values in a set of statistical data from a fixed value
b
: the expected value of a power of the deviation (see deviation sense b) of a random variable from a fixed value
Examples of moment in a Sentence
The sun was shining. Moments later, it began to rain.
It was a moment before she realized what had happened.
She stopped for a moment and peeked into the window.
It should only take a moment to fix the problem.
I'm very busy and I don't have a moment to spare.
One moment it was sunny; the next it was pouring rain.
The moment for us to act has arrived.
War seemed unavoidable at that moment in history.
She knew exactly the right moment to ask for a raise.
We had an exciting vacation. There was never a dull moment.
Recent Examples on the Web
Each of these movies was smart, exciting, and relevant to the present moment, with a point of view that centered the daily struggles of ordinary folks.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
But one thing everyone can probably agree on is the importance of being there for your kids’ most important moments.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Take a moment to catch up on what’s been happening in the world of airlines and aviation.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
Both parties should try to communicate in a more civil matter instead of spending every moment of every day crying wolf.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moment 
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.
Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
But one thing everyone can probably agree on is the importance of being there for your kids’ most important moments.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Take a moment to catch up on what’s been happening in the world of airlines and aviation.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
Both parties should try to communicate in a more civil matter instead of spending every moment of every day crying wolf.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moment
Dictionary Entries Near moment
Cite this Entry
“Moment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moment. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moment
noun
mo·ment
ˈmō-mənt 
1
: a brief portion of time : instant
2
a
: present time
at the moment she is working on a novel
b
: a time of importance or success
he has his moments
3
: importance, consequence
an event of great moment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share