semi-movable
|se-mi-mov-a-ble|
🇺🇸
/ˌsɛmiˈmuvəbəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌsɛmiˈmuːvəb(ə)l/
allowing only limited movement
Etymology
'semi-movable' originates from Latin and Old French: the prefix 'semi-' from Latin 'semi' meaning 'half', and 'movable' from Old French 'movable', ultimately from Latin 'mobilis' and the verb 'movere' meaning 'to move'.
'Movable' entered Middle English via Anglo-French/Old French 'movable' from Latin 'mobilis' (< 'movere'). English later formed the compound by attaching the Latin-derived prefix 'semi-' to 'movable', yielding the modern adjective 'semi-movable'.
Initially, it meant 'half/partly movable; allowing partial movement', and this core meaning has remained, extending to technical and design contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
allowing limited movement; partly movable (often of a joint, mechanism, or structure).
The pelvis contains semi-movable joints that allow only slight motion.
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Adjective 2
designed to be repositioned occasionally rather than frequently; movable to a limited extent by design.
We installed semi-movable partitions to reconfigure the space when needed.
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Last updated: 2025/08/10 22:41