movable
/ˈmuːvəb(ə)l
/(also moveable)
adjective
1Capable of being moved: they stripped the town of all movable objects and fled...
- Storm windows should have weatherstripping at all moveable joints; be made of strong, durable materials; and have interlocking or overlapping joints.
- Wind instruments are tuned by adjustment to the length of tubing, using the tuning-slide on a brass instrument, the staple of the reed on an oboe, or the movable top joint of a flute, etc.
- The synovial joints are the most freely movable joints.
Synonyms
portable, transportable, transferable;
mobile;
adjustable, flexible, detachable
rare portative
1.1(Of a feast or festival) variable in date from year to year: a perpetual calendar for all religious feasts, both fixed and movable...
- It was here that the notion of Vote for Change as a moveable multi-artist feast first began to germinate.
- Meskel, or the Festival of the True Cross, is celebrated on moveable days in late September.
- Since the feast is movable, the changes are often made to avoid Easter week conflicts.
Synonyms
variable, changeable, alterable, unfixed, floating
2 Law (Of property) of the nature of a chattel, as distinct from land or buildings: a man of sufficient movable property but with hardly any land...Compare with heritable (sense 2).
- Private ownership of both land and moveable property is also subject to statutes governing financial solvency, such that bankrupts can have their land and other property sold to balance their debt.
- Resources can be external, material goods, such as land and moveable property.
- The inheritance of land is often separated from that of movable property.
noun (usually movables)
1Property or possessions not including land or buildings: in many cases the movables are the facilities and stock-in-trade of a business a tax of one shilling in the pound on movables...
- The law allows compensation only for buildings and land, not for movables like the greenhouses' computerized irrigation systems.
- Enterprises in Bulgaria can receive loans under effective credit lines or by pledging movables or mortgaging immovable property as security.
- Residents were understandably concerned with the orderly transmission of property, particularly movables, upon the demise of the holder.
Synonyms
possessions, belongings, effects, property, goods, chattels, things, stuff, paraphernalia, impedimenta
informal gear
rare plenishings
1.1An article of furniture that may be removed from a house, as distinct from a fixture: all the movables have been removed and the roof has fallen in...
- It is important to note that if the house is fully furnished, Vat at 21 per cent applies to the moveables (ie, tables, chairs and so on).
- In contrast, Article 53 enables an occupying force to appropriate state movables to the extent that those materials may be used for military operations.
- There is little doubt that it is the lex situs which as a general rule governs the transfer of movables when effected contractually.
Derivatives
movability
/ noun ...- But, in my opinion, these factors are not enough to outweigh its general character of moveability.
- A leather loincloth provides a bit of modesty and moveability.
- The art of hiding requires excellent moveability, and none of what you have will qualify.
movably
/ adverb ...- The guard lock arrangement includes a guard lock lever moveably mounted to the saw assembly.
- The mirror structure is movably mounted on a base structure, which includes an actuation coil for controlling movement of the mirror structure.
- Both the burner and glass body are movably positioned.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French, from moveir 'to move'.