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n. pl. mo·men·ta (-tə) or mo·men·tums 1. Symbol p Physics A quantity used to measure the motion of a body, equal to the product of the body's mass and its velocity. Also called linear momentum. 2. a. The force or energy exhibited by a moving body: The ball did not have enough momentum to reach the goalposts. b. The driving force or advancing strength of a development or course of events: The effort to reform public education has been gaining momentum. 3. Philosophy An essential or constituent element; a moment. [Latin mōmentum, movement, from *movimentum, from movēre, to move; see meuə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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