movable

movable — adjective

1. describes an object that can change where it is, by being carried, pushed, or ro

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes an object that can change where it is, by being carried, pushed, or rolled to another spot

Example

The movable shelves in Henry's kitchen let him store tall bottles below.

attributive use: movable + noun

All the classroom desks are movable, so the teacher rearranges them for group work.

predicative use: be + movable

Common collocations
  • movable furniture
  • movable wall
  • movable shelf
  • movable part
  • movable partition
Synonyms
  • portable

    suggests something light enough to carry by hand, while movable covers anything that can change position

  • adjustable

    focuses on changing height, angle, or position rather than moving to a different location

  • mobile

    used for living things or vehicles that can move independently

Antonyms
  • fixed

    attached or fastened so it cannot move

  • immovable

    too heavy or firmly attached to be shifted

  • permanent

    designed to stay in one place forever

Grammar Patterns

movable + noun

be + movable

Usage Note

Frequently contrasts with 'fixed' or 'permanent'. Common for furniture, partitions, shelves, and machinery that can be repositioned.

Common Mistakes

The wheelchair user is movable with assistance.
The wheelchair user is mobile with assistance.
'movable' describes objects that can be shifted, not people or living things who can move on their own.

2. describes a festival, holiday, or event whose date falls on a different day each

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a festival, holiday, or event whose date falls on a different day each year rather than on a fixed calendar date

Example

Easter is a movable holiday — this year it falls in March, but next year it will shift to mid-April.

collocation: movable holiday (attributive)

Lunar New Year is a movable feast; in 2025 it begins on January 29, but in 2026 it shifts to February 17.

collocation: movable feast with calendar-year examples

Common collocations
  • movable feast
  • movable holiday
  • movable date
  • movable calendar
Synonyms
  • variable

    broader term covering any changeable aspect, not specific to dates

  • floating

    informal alternative for a date that is not fixed, often in British English

Antonyms
  • fixed

    of a date that stays the same every year

  • set

    of a date that is unchanging

Grammar Patterns

movable + noun (feast, holiday, date, calendar)

Usage Note

Almost always appears before nouns such as 'feast', 'holiday', 'date', or 'calendar'. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not describe physical movement — it refers to a schedule that shifts year to year.

movable — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three describe the ability to change position, but they differ in scope. 'Movable' is the broadest term — anything that can be physically shifted from one spot to another, whether by carrying, rolling, or pushing, is movable. 'Portable' is narrower: it describes items light or compact enough to be carried by hand, like a portable speaker or a portable heater. 'Mobile' focuses on the ability to move independently, often used for people, vehicles, or devices (a mobile phone, a mobile clinic). 'Adjustable' is different again — it means parts of an object can change height, angle, or tightness without the whole item moving location. For example, an adjustable chair lets you raise the seat while the chair stays in place. A movable chair, by contrast, can be carried to a different room.

portable ↗mobile ↗adjustable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • easily movable
  • freely movable
  • fully movable
  • highly movable

Phrases

  • movable and immovable property
  • movable or fixed

Prepositions

  • movable by (hand)
  • movable on (wheels)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'movēre' (to move) combined with the suffix '-abilis' (able to be). The word entered English through Old French 'movable' around the 14th century. The legal use for property that can be physically moved (as opposed to land) developed in the 1600s, and the sense of a yearly holiday that shifts dates appeared by the 1800s.