movements
Shifts in position
Movements is the plural of movement, covering all its senses.
Physical movements are instances of moving or changing position: The dancer's movements were fluid and precise.
A movement can also be an organized effort by a group working toward a shared goal: the civil rights movement, the labor movement.
In music, a movement is a self-contained section of a larger composition like a symphony or sonata.
The word also refers euphemistically to bowel movements—instances of defecation.
Direct effort for reform
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- marchRhythmic group walk
- rallyGathering for a cause
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
boycott · civil disobedience · uprising · rebellion · suffrage · abolitionism · grassroots · solidarity
Designing performance movement sequences
- balletClassical dance on pointe
- tangoLatin ballroom with sharp stops
- salsaSpicy tomato condiment
- waltzDance in three-quarter time
hip-hop · contemporary · flamenco · capoeira · breakdance · folk · swing · tap
Communicative body movement
- motionChange in position
- locomotionAbility to travel independently
- postureBody position, alignment
- gaitLocomotion pattern
stride · flexion · extension · rotation · coordination · agility · mobility · balance
Extended composition for orchestra
- sonataMulti-movement instrumental composition
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
- allegroBrisk tempo marking
- andanteWalking-pace tempo marking
adagio · passage · phrase · section · motif · theme · variation · exposition
Rhythmic pulse or strike
- tempoRate of musical performance
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
- pulseArterial blood throb
groove · meter · oscillation · flow · timing · polyrhythm · phrasing · accent
Movement or work period
- transitionChange from one state
- trendDirection of change
- waveOscillating motion through medium
- groundswellGrowing public sentiment
evolution · transformation · swing · tide · current · drift · pivot · realignment
Style prioritizing perception
- modernismFavoring contemporary approaches
- surrealismIrrational, dreamlike aesthetic
- cubismGeometric, fragmented visual style
- expressionismDistorting reality for emotion
dadaism · romanticism · baroque · renaissance · avant-garde · minimalism · abstract · realism
activism
Direct effort for reform
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- marchRhythmic group walk
- rallyGathering for a cause
resistance · boycott · civil disobedience · uprising · rebellion · suffrage · abolitionism · grassroots · solidarity · liberation
choreography
Designing performance movement sequences
waltz · hip-hop · contemporary · flamenco · capoeira · breakdance · folk · swing · tap · ballroom
gesture
Communicative body movement
- motionChange in position
- locomotionAbility to travel independently
- postureBody position, alignment
gait · stride · flexion · extension · rotation · coordination · agility · mobility · balance · fluidity
symphony
Extended composition for orchestra
- sonataMulti-movement instrumental composition
- concertoSolo-and-orchestra composition
- allegroBrisk tempo marking
andante · adagio · passage · phrase · section · motif · theme · variation · exposition · crescendo
beat
Rhythmic pulse or strike
- tempoRate of musical performance
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
pulse · groove · meter · oscillation · flow · timing · polyrhythm · phrasing · accent · downbeat
shift
Movement or work period
- transitionChange from one state
- trendDirection of change
- waveOscillating motion through medium
groundswell · evolution · transformation · swing · tide · current · drift · pivot · realignment · fluctuation
impressionism
Style prioritizing perception
- modernismFavoring contemporary approaches
- surrealismIrrational, dreamlike aesthetic
- cubismGeometric, fragmented visual style
expressionism · dadaism · romanticism · baroque · renaissance · avant-garde · minimalism · abstract · realism · futurism
- Follow the Leaderleader, follower, line, imitation, copying
- literary studiescriticism, literary history, modernism, literary themes, romanticism
- groupsteam, teams, group, club, clubs
- societysociety, social customs, class, citizen, social hierarchy
- women's historywomen's history, herstory, notable women, women pioneers, women's liberation
- cultural conceptstrends, icons, fads, phenomena, traditions
movementsstillness
Complete lack of motion
immobility · motionlessness · stasis · fixedness · stationariness
movementsstagnation
Absence of flow or progress
inactivity · dormancy · passivity · inertness · inaction
movementsapathy
Absence of feeling
disorganization · fragmentation · atomization · individualism · establishment
- freedom movementCampaign for civil rights
- westward movementMigration toward sunset regions
- underground movementSecret organized opposition
- bowel movementFecal discharge from body
- youth movementsOrganized efforts by adolescents
- social movementCollective effort for change