momentum · noun — of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its masses and velocities. It carries an Arena rating of 1854, earned across 15 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, momentum ranks #102 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #151 of 43,117 for Qualifying, #338 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #667 of 17,180 for Most Ingenious Words.
momentum is pronounced /ˌmə(ʊ)ˈmɛntəm/.
Why “momentum” is a great word
The product of an object's mass and its velocity, signifying the quantity of its motion or the sustaining force of a trend in progress. From the Latin mōmentum ("movement, motion, influence"), first recorded in English in 1690. Unlike "velocity" (which specifies only speed and direction) or "impetus" (which suggests the initial spark to begin moving), momentum is the accrued, stubborn fact of motion already underway. It is the freight train's unthinking resistance to being stopped, the boulder's gathering certainty as it tumbles downslope, or the societal shift that has moved from a cause to an inevitability—the physics of persistence in a world that prefers rest.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Latin mōmentum. Doublet of moment and movement.
noun
- Of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its masses and velocities.
- Strength or force gained by motion or movement.
- The impetus, either of a body in motion, or of an idea or course of events; a moment.e.g.“The travellers swarm forth from the cars. All are full of the momentum which they have caught from their mode of conveyance.” — 1843, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from an Old Manse, The Old Apple Dealer:
- The surmise of an accelerated price trend in the analysis (technical or fundamental) of an asset.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- impulsion 62% match — The act of impelling or driving onward, or the state of being impelled; the sudden or momentary agency of a body in motion on another body; also, the impelling force, or impulse. vs momentum →
- dynamism 54% match — Great energy, drive, force, or power; vigour of body, mind, or personality; oomph or pizzazz. vs momentum →
- molimen 54% match — An effort or impulse toward a certain effect. vs momentum →
- premotion 53% match — Previous motion or excitement to action, especially a divine impulse that precedes human action, guiding or enabling individuals to act in accordance with God's will. vs momentum →
- impetus 52% match — Anything that impels; a stimulating factor. vs momentum →
- energy 51% match — The impetus behind all motion and all activity. vs momentum →
- momentaneal 50% match — Momentous. vs momentum →
- emotion 49% match — Movement; agitation. vs momentum →