moment

[ moh-muhnt ]

noun

1. an indefinitely short period of time; instant:

   I'll be with you in a moment.

   Synonyms: twinkling, flash, trice, jiffy, second

2. Usually the moment. the present time or any other particular time:

   He is busy at the moment.

3. a definite period or stage, as in a course of events; juncture:

   at this moment in history.

4. importance or consequence:

   a decision of great moment.

   Synonyms: momentousness, magnitude, weight, significance

5. a particular time or period of success, excellence, fame, etc.:

   His big moment came in the final game.

6. Statistics. the mean or expected value of the product formed by multiplying together a set of one or more variates or variables each to a specified power.
7. Philosophy.
   1. an aspect of a thing.
   2. Obsolete. an essential or constituent factor.
8. Mechanics.
   1. a tendency to produce motion, especially about an axis.
   2. the product of a physical quantity and its directed distance from an axis:

      moment of area; moment of mass.

moment

/ ˈməʊmənt /

noun

1. a short indefinite period of time

   he'll be here in a moment

2. a specific instant or point in time

   at that moment the doorbell rang

3. the moment
   the present point of time

   at the moment it's fine

4. import, significance, or value

   a man of moment

5. physics
   1. a tendency to produce motion, esp rotation about a point or axis
   2. the product of a physical quantity, such as force or mass, and its distance from a fixed reference point See also moment of inertia
6. statistics the mean of a specified power of the deviations of all the values of a variable in its frequency distribution. The power of the deviations indicates the order of the moment and the deviations may be from the origin (giving a moment about the origin ) or from the mean (giving a moment about the mean )

Word History and Origins

Origin of moment¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin mōmentum “motion, cause of motion,” hence, “influence, importance, essential factor, moment of time,” from movimentum (unattested), equivalent to mō- (variant stem of the verb movēre move ) + -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of moment¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin mōmentum, from movēre to move

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with moment , also see at this point (moment) ; every minute (moment) counts ; for the moment ; have one's moments ; just a minute (moment) ; live for the moment ; never a dull moment ; not for a moment ; of the moment ; on the spur of the moment ; weak moment .

Synonym Study

See minute ¹. See importance.

Example Sentences

We are facing the threat of years of lost ground on climate at a moment when we can ill afford it.

From Los Angeles Times

Ellen Hogan, who was sat in the back, removed her seat belt to reach something on the floor moments before the car hit a tree just outside Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire in June 2022.

From BBC

At this moment, it costs too much to can him, as much as $60 million by one estimate.

From Los Angeles Times

For Mr Topless, the experience has led to "soul-searching moments".

From BBC

Large pockets of the crowd carrying Croatia flags in support of Miocic roared "Stipe, Stipe" in the early moments, but Jones silenced them with an early takedown.

From BBC

Related Words

• bit
• date
• flash
• hour
• juncture
• minute
• occasion
• point
• stage
• time