Definition

Noun: 1. A collective effort by a group of people sharing a common ideology or goal to bring about social, political, or cultural change. It refers to organized, often sustained, action aimed at achieving specific objectives or resisting perceived injustices.

Usage

• The term describes organized, collective action, not individual efforts.
• It often implies a challenge to existing power structures, norms, or policies.
• It can be used with adjectives specifying its nature (e.g., , ) or its scale (e.g., , ).

Examples

• The social movement for civil rights transformed laws and societal attitudes.
• She dedicated her life to the environmental movement.
• Politicians have to respect a mass movement when it represents the will of a significant part of the population.
• He was a charter member of the movement from its earliest days.

Advanced Usage

• "to lead/join a movement": To assume a guiding role in or become part of a collective action.
  • He led the national liberation front, a key movement for independence.
• "a movement gains momentum": When a collective effort starts attracting more support and influence.
  • The movement gained momentum after the documentary was released.

Variants and Related Words

• Movement (n): The more general, often shortened form of "social movement." It can also refer to a trend or a physical act of moving.
• Activism (n): The policy or action of campaigning to bring about political or social change. (Activism is the practice; a social movement is the organized entity).
• Campaign (n): An organized course of action to achieve a specific goal, often shorter-term than a movement. (A campaign can be a tactic within a broader social movement).

Synonyms

• Crusade: A vigorous, concerted movement for a cause, often with moral or religious fervor.
• Drive: An organized, intensive effort to achieve a particular purpose.
• Cause: A principle or aim supported by a group of people.

Related Phrases

• Grassroots movement: A movement that originates and is driven by the concerns of ordinary people at a local level, rather than by political elites.
• Reform movement: A movement aimed at improving or correcting systems and institutions without completely overthrowing them.

Noun

1. a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals
   • he was a charter member of the movement
   • politicians have to respect a mass movement
   • he led the national liberation front