immobilize

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪˈmoʊbəˌlaɪz/ UK /ɪˈməʊbɪˌlaɪz/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to prevent from moving or functioning

The cast was used to immobilize her broken arm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to prevent from moving or... paralyze fix freeze disable cripple incapacitate

Opposites

mobilize free release activate

Word family

Derived forms immobilizedimmobilizingimmobilizationimmobilizer

Related forms immobile mobile mobilize

Etymology

From French immobiliser, from in- ('not') + mobiliser, ultimately from Latin mobilis ('movable').

immobilis Latin movere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

# immobilize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ɪˈmoʊbəˌlaɪz
**IPA (UK):** ɪˈməʊbɪˌlaɪz

## Meanings
1. to prevent from moving or functioning

## Examples
- The cast was used to immobilize her broken arm.

## Synonyms
- paralyze
- fix
- freeze
- disable
- cripple
- incapacitate

## Antonyms
- mobilize
- free
- release
- activate

## Derived Forms
- immobilized
- immobilizing
- immobilization
- immobilizer

## Related Forms
- immobile
- mobile
- mobilize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: immobilis
- Root: movere

## Etymology
From French immobiliser, from in- ('not') + mobiliser, ultimately from Latin mobilis ('movable').

## AI Etymology
immobilize comes from French immobiliser, from in- ('not') + mobiliser, ultimately from Latin mobilis ('movable'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the verb sense is "to prevent from moving or functioning", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as immobile, mobile, and mobilize, and in derivatives such as immobilized, immobilizing, immobilization, and immobilizer. Its semantic neighborhood includes paralyze, fix, freeze, and disable, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin immobilis and Latin movere.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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