Motionless

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈməʊʃənlɛs/

Definitions

1. Remaining completely still without any movement or action
2. Remaining entirely still without exhibiting any form of movement or action
3. Showing no movement or change in position at all

Etymology: "Motionless" is a plain compound: "motion" with the suffix "-less," which meant "without" and is the same ending that gives us "fearless" or "careless." The suffix goes back to an Old English form, "-lēas," and it has been attached to nouns to make adjectives since then, so the formation is ordinary rather than a clever invention. "Motion" itself reaches English from Latin "motio," a noun from the verb "movere," "to move." The Latin root is ancient and widely shared across Indo-European languages, but the word that matters for English is the Latin noun, which came into English as the basis for "motion" and, from there, for this adjective. The notable point is how transparent the word is: each part says exactly what it means, and the combined sense is simply "without motion." No meaning has shifted, and no famous coiner or dramatic episode lies behind it.

Synonyms: still, stationary, immobile, quiet, static

Antonyms: moving, active, dynamic, agitated, restless