1 a : the act or process of moving people or things from one place or position to another [noncount] ▪ He developed an efficient system for movement of raw materials to the factory. [count] ▪ troop movements
b : the act of moving from one place or position to another [noncount] ▪ increased cell movement [count] ▪ studying the movements of the planets
c : the act of moving your body or a part of your body [noncount] ▪ We wore loose clothes to allow for easier movement. ▪ freedom of movement [count] ▪ the graceful movements of a dancer ▪ careful and precise movements ▪ muscle/hand/eye movements 2 movements [plural] : a person's actions or activities
▪ The police have been keeping a careful record of his movements. 3 [count] a : a series of organized activities in which many people work together to do or achieve something
▪ She started a movement [=campaign] for political reform. ▪ There's a movement afoot to rename the town. ▪ a book about the history of the civil rights movement
b : the group of people who are involved in such a movement
▪ They joined the antiwar/peace/feminist movement. 4 a : a noticeable change in the way people behave or think [noncount] ▪ There has been a movement back to more therapeutic treatments of mental disorders in recent years. [count] ▪ There has been some movement to more therapeutic treatments.
b : a noticeable change in a situation [noncount] ▪ There hasn't been any movement in the negotiations. [=the negotations have not progressed] [count] ▪ There has been a movement [=tendency] toward lower prices in the housing market recently. [=prices have been going lower in the housing market recently] 5 [count] music : a main section of a longer piece of music
▪ the first movement of the symphony 6 [count] medical : an act of passing solid waste from the body —called also bowel movement