Synonyms

social mobility

American

[soh-shuhl moh-bil-i-tee] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl moʊˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

Sociology. the movement of people in a population, as from place to place, from job to job, or from one social class or level to another.

social mobility Cultural

The ability of individuals or groups to move upward or downward in status based on wealth, occupation, education, or some other social variable.

Discover More

American society operates on the principle that an individual's achievements can be rewarded by upward social mobility.

Etymology

Origin of social mobility

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Osborne and Ribeiro-Addy were among several Labour MPs who said they backed scrapping tuition fees altogether to boost social mobility and make higher education more accessible.

From BBC

The Sutton Trust, a charity that aims to improve social mobility and address educational disadvantage, said that gaining a degree from an elite university was the surest way to improve social mobility.

From BBC

"But what we don't have is a coherent approach to social mobility as a useful concept that you can build a strategy around."

From BBC

Many immigrant families, like Alex’s, are initially drawn to the U.S. with aspirations for education access and social mobility.

From Los Angeles Times

Sir Keir added that Rayner, who grew up in poverty and left school at 16, was "the best social mobility story this country has ever seen".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023