Locomotion vs. Movement — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 28, 2023
Locomotion is the act of moving from place to place. Movement is a change in position or place.
Difference Between Locomotion and Movement
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
The term locomotion primarily refers to the mechanism that enables an entity, typically a living organism, to move from one place to another. It denotes not just the action but also the means, such as walking or swimming. Movement, on the other hand, is a broader concept, encompassing any change in position, whether it's a dance move or the hands of a clock moving.
In biology, locomotion is crucial when discussing how animals navigate their environments. Creatures have evolved various means of locomotion, from the flight of birds to the crawling of insects. Movement in biology can also refer to cellular or molecular changes, such as the movement of a fluid through a cell.
Considering transportation, locomotion describes how vehicles or machines traverse. Trains have their method of locomotion, as do boats. In contrast, movement in transportation might describe the transit of goods or the flow of traffic.
Within a more figurative context, locomotion rarely finds use, while movement can describe changes in societal trends, like a cultural or political movement. Thus, while locomotion is specific to the act and means of moving, movement has a broader application.
To summarize, locomotion zeroes in on the means and act of moving from one place to another, typically in the context of living organisms or vehicles. In contrast, movement is a versatile term, signifying any change in position, spanning from physical to ideological shifts.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Definition
The act and means of moving from one place to another.
A change in position or place.
Context
Often used in biology and transportation.
Broad usage: biology, arts, society, physics, etc.
Specificity
More specific to the mechanism of travel.
General term for any type of change in position.
Figurative Usage
Rarely used figuratively.
Can denote non-physical shifts like societal changes.
Flexibility
Narrowly focuses on method and action of travel.
Extremely versatile; used across various disciplines.
Compare with Definitions
Locomotion
The act of traveling or moving around.
The locomotion of fish is a fascinating subject in marine biology.
Movement
A change in position or location.
The sudden movement startled her.
Locomotion
Movement achieved by muscular effort.
Walking and running are bipedal forms of locomotion.
Movement
The act of moving.
The movement of the waves was mesmerizing.
Locomotion
The mechanism enabling movement from place to place.
Birds have a unique method of locomotion – flight.
Movement
A group of people with a shared objective.
The civil rights movement changed America.
Locomotion
A specific manner of moving.
The snake's primary locomotion is slithering.
Movement
An act of moving
A slight movement of the body
The free movement of labour
Locomotion
The capability of a creature or machine to move.
The robot's locomotion was impaired by rough terrain.
Movement
A change or development
The movement towards greater sexual equality
Movements in the underlying financial markets
Locomotion
The act of moving from place to place.
Movement
A group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas
The labour movement
Locomotion
The ability to move from place to place.
Movement
A principal division of a longer musical work, self-sufficient in terms of key, tempo, and structure
The slow movement of his violin concerto
Locomotion
(uncountable) The ability to move from place to place, or the act of doing so.
Movement
An act of defecation.
Locomotion
Self-powered motion by which a whole organism changes its location through walking, running, jumping, crawling, swimming, brachiating or flying.
Movement
The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position.
Locomotion
A dance, originally popular in the 1960s, in which the arms are used to mimic the motion of the connecting rods of a steam locomotive.
Movement
A particular manner of moving.
Locomotion
The act of moving from place to place.
Movement
A change in the location of troops, ships, or aircraft for tactical or strategic purposes.
Locomotion
The power of moving from place to place, characteristic of the higher animals and some of the lower forms of plant life.
Movement
A series of actions and events taking place over a period of time and working to foster a principle or policy
A movement toward world peace.
Locomotion
The name of a song and a dance, briefly popular in the 1960's; as, do the locomotion.
Movement
An organized effort by supporters of a common goal
A leader of the labor movement.
Locomotion
The power or ability to move
Movement
A tendency or trend
A movement toward larger kitchens.
Locomotion
Self-propelled movement
Movement
A change in the market price of a security or commodity.
Movement
An evacuation of the bowels.
Movement
The matter so evacuated.
Movement
The suggestion or illusion of motion in a painting, sculpture, or design.
Movement
The progression of events in the development of a literary plot.
Movement
The rhythmical or metrical structure of a poetic composition.
Movement
(Music) A self-contained section of an extended composition.
Movement
(Linguistics) In generative grammar, a transformation in which a constituent in one part of a syntactic structure is copied or displaced into a different location, creating a new structure.
Movement
A mechanism, such as the works of a watch, that produces or transmits motion.
Movement
Physical motion between points in space.
I saw a movement in that grass on the hill.
Movement
(engineering) A system or mechanism for transmitting motion of a definite character, or for transforming motion, such as the wheelwork of a watch.
Movement
The impression of motion in an artwork, painting, novel etc.
Movement
A trend in various fields or social categories, a group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals
The labor movement has been struggling in America since the passage of the Taft-Hartley act in 1947.
Movement
(music) A large division of a larger composition.
Beethoven's movements
Movement
(music) Melodic progression, accentual character, tempo or pace.
Movement
(aviation) An instance of an aircraft taking off or landing.
Albuquerque International Sunport serviced over 200,000 movements last year.
Movement
(baseball) The deviation of a pitch from ballistic flight.
The movement on his cutter was devastating.
Movement
(bridge) A pattern in which pairs change opponents and boards move from table to table in duplicate bridge.
Movement
An act of emptying the bowels.
Movement
(obsolete) Motion of the mind or feelings; emotion.
Movement
The act of moving in space; change of place or posture; motion; as, the movement of an army in marching or maneuvering; the movement of a wheel or a machine.
Movement
Manner or style of moving; as, a slow, or quick, or sudden, movement.
Movement
Transference, by any means, from one situation to another; a change of situation; progress toward a goal; advancement; as, after months of fruitless discussion there was finally some movement toward an agreement.
Movement
Motion of the mind or feelings; emotion.
Movement
The rhythmical progression, pace, and tempo of a piece.
Movement
A system of mechanism for transmitting motion of a definite character, or for transforming motion; as, the wheelwork of a watch; as, a seventeen jewel movement.
Movement
A more or less organized effort by many people to achieve some goal, especially a social or artistic goal; as, the women's liberation movement; the progressive movement in architecture.
Movement
A change of position that does not entail a change of location;
The reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise
Movement is a sign of life
An impatient move of his hand
Gastrointestinal motility
Movement
A natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
Movement
The act of changing location from one place to another;
Police controlled the motion of the crowd
The movement of people from the farms to the cities
His move put him directly in my path
Movement
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
Movement
A major self-contained part of a symphony or sonata;
The second movement is slow and melodic
Movement
A series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end;
He supported populist campaigns
They worked in the cause of world peace
The team was ready for a drive toward the pennant
The movement to end slavery
Contributed to the war effort
Movement
An optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object;
The cinema relies on apparent motion
The succession of flashing lights gave an illusion of movement
Movement
A euphemism for defecation;
He had a bowel movement
Movement
A general tendency to change (as of opinion);
Not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book
A broad movement of the electorate to the right
Movement
The driving and regulating parts of a mechanism (as of a watch or clock);
It was an expensive watch with a diamond movement
Movement
The act of changing the location of something;
The movement of cargo onto the vessel
Movement
A shift in thought or trends.
There's a new movement in modern art.
Movement
The internal mechanism of a device.
The watch's movement was intricate and precise.
Common Curiosities
Why is locomotion vital in biology?
Locomotion studies how organisms navigate their environments, crucial for understanding behavior and evolution.
Is locomotion only applicable to living things?
No, while often used for organisms, it can describe any entity's means of moving, like vehicles.
Can locomotion involve more than muscles in animals?
Yes, it can involve structures like cilia or the propulsion of water in some aquatic creatures.
How does locomotion differ in animals?
Locomotion varies based on anatomy and environment, e.g., flying in birds or swimming in fish.
Can movement be passive?
Yes, like a leaf moved by the wind.
Can movement be non-physical?
Yes, movement can denote ideological or societal shifts.
What's the importance of studying locomotion in transportation design?
Understanding locomotion helps create efficient and suitable transport modes.
Can movement indicate a trend in arts?
Absolutely. Terms like "modernist movement" denote trends in art or literature.
How does movement play a role in physics?
Movement, often termed motion in physics, studies how and why objects change position.
Is movement always visible?
Not necessarily. Microscopic or slow movements might not be perceptible.
Does locomotion always mean forward movement?
No, locomotion can be in any direction, including vertical or even circular.
Is the study of locomotion limited to ground-based entities?
No, it includes all modes, from aquatic to aerial locomotion.
Can a music piece have movement?
Yes, in music, a movement is a large part of a composition, like a symphony.
Does movement always require energy?
In most cases, yes, but the source and amount can vary.
Are there medical conditions affecting locomotion?
Yes, conditions like Parkinson's can impact a person's ability for normal locomotion.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
