mobilize
MOH-buh-lyze
/ˈmoʊbəlaɪz/
To prepare, organize, and coordinate resources, people, or forces for active service or a collective goal.
Carries a sense of logistical organization and movement, turning passive supporters into an active, coordinated force ready to execute a plan.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'mobilis', meaning 'movable' or 'easy to move'. It entered English through French military terminology in the 19th century, specifically referring to the rapid assembly of national troops and resources for impending warfare.
Word relationships
- marshal: Marshal implies carefully arranging and ordering resources or people in a highly structured, military-like fashion, while mobilize focuses on putting them into active motion.
- assemble: Assemble simply means to gather people or things in one place, whereas mobilize means to gather them and prepare them for active, coordinated work.
- demobilize: Demobilize means to stand down or disband troops or organized groups, returning them to a passive state.
- disperse: Disperse means to scatter or distribute over a wide area, breaking up any coordinated group.
Commonly confused with
- motivate: Motivate means to give someone a reason to act, while mobilize means to physically organize and deploy them to actually perform the action.
Word family
- mobilization (noun): The act of assembling and making ready for war or other active service.
- mobility (noun): The ability to move or be moved freely and easily.
Collocations
- mobilize resources
- mobilize support
- mobilize troops
- mobilize the public
Example sentences
- "Following the earthquake, the Red Cross worked to mobilize emergency medical teams and distribute clean water." Describing disaster response efforts.
- "The campaign's primary objective was to mobilize young voters who had historically stayed home on election day." Discussing political campaigns.
Memory hook
Think of a 'mobile' phone or a hanging 'mobile' over a crib—both are designed to move. To 'mobilize' is to get people moving together. Get the crowd moving.
When not to use
Do not use when describing a purely individual, internal, or emotional state; mobilization always involves coordination, movement, or preparation of resources.
Fun facts
- The first widespread, modern military mobilization occurred during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), where railways were used for the first time to move hundreds of thousands of soldiers in days.
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.