WordGarden.iomovable
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈuːvəbəl/
US
- /ˈmuvəbəl/
Meanings
Adjective
able to be moved or repositioned rather than fixed in place
not fixed to one date in the calendar and varying from year to year
Noun
an item of personal property treated as movable rather than fixed
Beyond the definition
Something that is movable is not fixed in one place, so it can be shifted, carried, or taken somewhere else. A chair, a box, or a small wall divider can all be movable. A mountain or a built-in shelf is not. The word is most often used for physical things, especially things in a room, a building, or a piece of equipment. It does not always mean light or easy for one person to carry; it simply means the thing can be moved.
The term "movable" describes something that can be moved from one place to another, especially because it is not fixed, built in, or permanently attached. A chair is movable, but a wall is not. A small storage unit on wheels is movable, but a kitchen cabinet nailed into place is not. The word often appears when people talk about furniture, equipment, partitions, and other objects that may need to be shifted or relocated.
The meaning can also extend beyond ordinary household objects. In legal language, "movable property" refers to possessions that are not land or buildings, such as furniture, vehicles, tools, or jewelry. In printing history, "movable type" refers to separate letters or characters that can be arranged, removed, and used again. In both cases, the core idea stays the same: the thing is able to be moved rather than fixed forever in one place.
There are also a few set expressions. A "movable feast" is a holiday that does not fall on the same date every year, such as Easter. In this use, the date moves on the calendar. You may also see the word used in a broader way for plans, boundaries, or parts of a system that can be adjusted or repositioned.
The word does not always suggest convenience. Something can be movable even if it is heavy and takes effort, tools, or several people to shift. What matters is that it is not permanently fixed. If an object, part, or date can be changed from one position or place to another, it can be described as movable.
Examples
- 1
Classroom furniture
The desk is light and movable, so we can change the classroom layout.
- 2
Office layout
They used movable screens to divide the office into smaller spaces.
- 3
Camera equipment
The camera is attached to a movable arm.
- 4
Machine safety
Keep your hands away from the machine's movable parts.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Holiday dates
Easter is a movable holiday, so it does not fall on the same date every year.
- Phrasea movable holiday
a holiday whose date changes from year to year
- 6
Legal property
The contract lists the land separately from movable property such as furniture and equipment.
- Domainmovable property
things someone owns that are not land or buildings
- 7
Printing
The museum has an old printing press with movable type.
- Domainin printing, movable type
separate letters that can be arranged for printing
See also
Similar
- mobile
- transportable
- relocatable
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- movable parts
- movable furniture
Word family
- move
- movability
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- movablenounadjective
Forms
- movablespluralnounadjective