motion

English

Etymology

From Middle English mocioun, mocion, from Anglo-Norman motion, Middle French motion, and their etymon Latin motio (“movement, motion”), related to movēre, from Proto-Indo-European *mew- (“to move”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈməʊ.ʃən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmoʊ.ʃən/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊʃən
• Hyphenation: mot‧ion

Noun

motion (countable and uncountable, plural motions)

1. (uncountable) A state of progression from one place to another.
   • 1947 May and June, “Notes and News: The Kent & East Sussex Railway Today”, in Railway Magazine, page 182:

     Several parties of hop-pickers joined the train at the intermediate stations, and the guard performed the acrobatic feat of walking along the footboards of the coaches to examine tickets, while the train was in motion.

   Synonym: movement

   Antonym: rest

2. (countable) A change of position with respect to time.
   • 1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. , London: R. Norton for T. Garthwait, , →OCLC:

     This is the great wheel to which the clock owes its motion.

3. (physics) A change from one place to another.

   Synonyms: move, movement

   Antonym: rest

   • 1839, Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy, page 95:

     Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever, unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion.

4. (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.

   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion.

5. (obsolete) An entertainment or show, especially a puppet show.
   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica:

     when God gave him reason, he gave him freedom to choose, for reason is but choosing; he had bin else a meer artificiall Adam, such an Adam as he is in the motions.

6. (philosophy) from κίνησις (kinesis); any change. Traditionally of four types: generation and corruption, alteration, augmentation and diminution, and change of place.
   • 1662, Henry More, An Antidote Against Atheism, Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 53:

     "I say, it is no uneven jot, to pass from the more faint and obscure examples of Spermatical life to the more considerable effects of general Motion in Minerals, Metalls, and sundry Meteors, whose easie and rude shapes may have no need of any Principle of Life, or Spermatical form distinct from the Rest or Motion of the particles of the Matter."

7. Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or impulse to any action; internal activity.
   • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: J Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, , published 1727, →OCLC:

     Let a good man obey every good motion rising in his heart, knowing that every such motion proceeds from God.

8. (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.
9. (euphemistic) A movement of the bowels; the product of such movement.
   • 1857, William Braithwaite, The Retrospect of Medicine:

     From that time to the present (three weeks) she has taken one pill every night, and had one comfortable motion every morning without the aid of any other aperient, and her health has much improved.

10. (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.)
    • 1878, George Grove, A Dictionary of Music and Musicians:

      The independent motions of different parts sounding together constitute counterpoint.

11. (obsolete) A puppet, or puppet show.
    • c. 1613, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, “Wit at Several Weapons. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies , London: Humphrey Robinson, , and for Humphrey Moseley , published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene i:

      What motion's this? the model of Nineveh?

12. (mechanical engineering) A piece of moving mechanism, such as on a steam locomotive.
    • 1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 459:

      [...] three 2-4-2 tank engines were secured from the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds. As the line began on the Quay in Bideford, the locomotives had their motion encased, as shown in the illustrations on page 414.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

motion (third-person singular simple present motions, present participle motioning, simple past and past participle motioned)

1. To gesture indicating a desired movement.

   He motioned for me to come closer.

   • 2017 March 1, Anthony Zurcher, “Trump addresses Congress: A kinder, gentler president”, in BBC News‎:

     After spending a few paragraphs blasting Obamacare, including motioning directly at the Democrats during his sharpest condemnations, the president laid down a few markers for what he wanted to see replace the current system.

2. (proscribed) To introduce a motion in parliamentary procedure.
3. To make a proposal; to offer plans.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens,
     One that still motions war and never peace

Usage notes

The parliamentary sense is incorrectly used by people who are not familiar with parliamentary procedure. They might say “I motion that such-and-such” – however, it would be correct to say “I move that such-and-such”.

Related terms

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from French motion, from Latin mōtio (“movement”), from movēre (“to move”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mosjoːn/,

Noun

motion c (singular definite motionen, not used in plural form)

1. exercise (physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness)

Further reading

• motion on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French motion, mocion, borrowed from Latin motiōnem, noun of action from perfect passive participle motus (“having been moved”), from verb movere (“move”), + noun of action suffix -io.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔ.sjɔ̃/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

motion f (plural motions)

1. motion

   Il s’agit d’une motion de censure. ― It's all about a motion of no confidence.

Derived terms

• motion de censure

Related terms

• mouvoir
• mouvement

Further reading

• “motion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Norman

Etymology

From Old French motion, mocion, borrowed from Latin mōtio (“movement, motion”).

Noun

motion f (plural motions)

1. (Jersey) motion

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔtˈɧuːn/, /mʊtˈɧuːn/

Noun

motion c

1. physical exercise to promote health and well-being
2. a motion (proposal from a member of parliament)

Declension

Derived terms

• motionsidrott
• motionsrunda

Related terms

• motionär
• motionera

See also

• kondition

References

• motion in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• motion in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)