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 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

• 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

For the moment, Jim O'Neill, one of Kennedy's top advisers, has been tapped up to run the CDC on an interim basis, until a new permanent director can be found.

From BBC

When I interviewed him, I had not doubted the version of events he had told me for one moment.

From BBC

“I remember staring out the window, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God,’ it’s like this crazy, full-circle moment,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

This reshuffle amounts to the action of a prime minister confronted by an almighty mess - and hurriedly seeking to seize that moment for his own and his government's ends.

From BBC

Some loves are for a lifetime, others just a moment, but nothing’s stopping Aishe from what she wants in this life — or her next.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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