Meaning of move In English

• 0 to (cause to) change position:

  • I'm so cold I can't move my fingers.

  • Will you help me move this table to the back room?

  • Can we move (= change the time of) the meeting from 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. ?

  • Don't move! Stay right where you are.

  • I thought I could hear someone moving about/around upstairs.

  • If you move along/over/up (= go further to the side, back, or front) a little, Tess can sit next to me.

  • Police officers at the scene of the accident were asking people to move along/on (= to go to a different place).

  • Come on, it's time we were moving (= time for us to leave).

  • Let's stay here tonight, then move on (= continue our journey) tomorrow morning.

  • In chess, the pieces can only move in certain directions.

• 1 to go to a different place to live or work:

  • We're moving to Paris.

  • They've bought a new house, but it will need a lot of work before they can move into it/move in.

  • I hear Paula has moved in with her boyfriend (= gone to live in his house).

  • The couple next door moved away (= went to live somewhere else) last year.

  • A lot of businesses are moving out of London because it's too expensive.

  • We're moving house next week.

• 2 to (cause to) progress, change, or happen in a particular way or direction:

  • The judge's decision will allow the case to move forward.

  • If you want to move ahead in your career, you'll have to work harder.

  • Share prices moved up/down slowly yesterday.

  • Sophie has been moved up/down a grade at school.

  • It's time this company moved into (= started to take advantage of the benefits of) the digital age.

• 3 to cause someone to take action:

  • [ + obj + to infinitive ] formal I can't imagine what could have moved him to say such a thing.

• 4 to (cause to) change an opinion or the way in which you live or work:

  • He's made up his mind, and nothing you can say will move him on the issue.

  • More and more people are movingaway from/towards vegetarianism.

• 5 to cause someone to have strong feelings, such as sadness, sympathy, happiness, or admiration:

  • She said that she was deeply moved by all the letters of sympathy she had received.

  • It was such a sad film that it moved him to tears (= made him cry).

• 6 to sell:

  • No one wants to buy these toys - we just can't move them.

  • This new shampoo is moving really fast.

• 7 to spend time with people:

  • She moves in/among a very small circle of people.

• 8 to suggest something, especially formally at a meeting or in a law court:

  • A vote was just about to be taken when someone stood up and said that they wished to move an amendment.

  • [ + that ] I move that the proposal be accepted.

  • Your Honour, we wish to move for dismissal of the charges.

• 9 (used especially by doctors and nurses) to pass the contents of the bowels out of the body:

  • The doctor asked him if he'd moved his bowels that day.

• 10 an act of moving:

  • She held the gun to his head and said, "One move and you're dead!"

  • I hate the way my boss watches my every move (= watches everything I do).

  • I picked up some new dance moves.

  • Show us your moves!

  • It takes a long time to learn all the moves in chess.

  • It's your move.

• 11 an occasion when you go to live or work in a different place:

  • We've had four moves in three years.

• 12 an action taken to achieve something:

  • Buying those shares was a good move.

  • This move towards improving childcare facilities has been widely welcomed.

  • [ + to infinitive ] The city council is making a move to improve traffic flow in the city.

• 13 to go to a different place in order to live or work, or to make someone do this:

  • The company announced it would be moving staff from Houston to Dallas early next year.

  • move to/into a place I got a promotion last year that meant moving to Brussels.

  • For many years the trend has been for people to move from rural to urban areas.

• 14 if a store, office, factory, etc. moves, or if someone moves it, it becomes situated in another place:

  • move to/from a place The bank's headquarters have now moved to Amsterdam.

  • move offices/headquarters/operations Airline operations are in the process of being moved to Terminal 2.

• 15 to change the job that you do, or to make someone do this:

  • If you're not happy working in your current team, we can move you.

  • move sb to sth After only six months at the firm, he was moved to sales.

  • move to/from/into sth She wants to move into corporate finance.

• 16 to take action or make progress:

  • One financial analyst said the court decision could prompt the company to move more quickly on the issue.

  • move ahead/forward/away from sth The state is moving ahead with legislation reforms for small businesses.

• 17 if a product moves, or if a store, company, etc. moves it, it sells quickly:

  • Our latest range of Internet TVs is really moving.

• 18 to officially suggest something during a meeting:

  • move that I move that we adopt the resolution.

• 19 action that a person or organization takes in order to achieve something:

  • a move to do sth Moves to block free access to music on the Internet have met with limited success.

  • a move by sb/sth Economists said a move by Japan to cut interest rates in isolation would have little effect on currency levels.

  • make a move (to do sth) Moves are being made to help future doctors make objective decisions.

  • first/next/latest move Our next move will crucially depend on the latest figures for inflation.

  • a bold/strategic/dramatic move Strategic moves announced with the interim results should strengthen the balance sheet and improve cash flow.

  • a move comes/follows The company's move comes as part of a wider industry crackdown on insurance fraud.

  • applaud/approve/condemn a move Investors are expected to applaud the move.

• 20 the process of changing from one system, activity, etc. to another:

  • a move to/into sth Environmentalists have welcomed the move to congestion charging.

  • a move (away) from sth We have incorporated several new concepts in recent months, including a move from commission-only staff to a team bonus structure.

• 21 the process of changing the place where you live or work, or trading in a new place:

  • a move from/to/into a place The move into Italy is part of a wider international expansion.