mobilize

/ˈməʊbəlaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈməʊbəlaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmō-bə-ˌlīz/ (ame, mw)

mobilize — verb

  • mobilizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • mobilizeshe / she / it
  • mobilizedpast simple
  • mobilizing-ing form

1. to bring together and direct people, money, or other resources toward achieving

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to bring together and direct people, money, or other resources toward achieving a shared aim.

例句

Lukas mobilized a team of twenty volunteers to pack food boxes for the homeless shelter.

transitive: mobilize + [number] + [people] + to-infinitive

The non-profit group mobilized support from local businesses to build a new playground.

mobilize + support/backing/resources

同義詞
  • rally

    emphasises strong emotional support or unity; often used for political causes

  • marshal

    more formal and orderly; used for arranging facts, arguments, or forces

  • organize

    broader and less urgent; 'mobilize' suggests rapid action toward a concrete goal

反義詞
  • demobilize

    to release from active service or coordinated duty

  • disband

    to break up a group that had been assembled

文法句型

mobilize + noun (people, resources, support)

mobilize + noun + to-infinitive (mobilize volunteers to help)

mobilize for + noun (mobilize for the campaign)

用法筆記

The object is usually a group of people or a collection of resources (funds, supplies, support). The intransitive form ('the community mobilized') is common when the group acts without a named leader.

常見錯誤

❌The charity mobilized new equipment.
✅The charity mobilized resources to buy new equipment.
💡'mobilize' applies to people or resources that are coordinated, not to the end product itself.

2. to gather armed forces and make them ready for active combat.

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to gather armed forces and make them ready for active combat.

例句

Tamar's grandfather was among the first soldiers mobilized when the war broke out in 1941.

passive: be mobilized during wartime

The small nation mobilized its entire navy within forty-eight hours of the attack.

transitive: mobilize + [military branch] + time span

同義詞
  • deploy

    to move forces into position; narrower — 'mobilize' includes gathering and preparing before movement

  • call up

    informal; refers specifically to summoning individual reservists or conscripts

反義詞

文法句型

mobilize + noun (the army, troops, the navy)

mobilize for + noun (mobilize for war)

intransitive: country / army mobilizes

用法筆記

Frequently used in news about international conflicts. The intransitive form ('the country mobilised') usually implies the whole nation is preparing for war, not just one branch of the military.

常見錯誤

❌The army mobilized to the border.
✅The army mobilized along the border.
💡'mobilize' does not take a destination directly; use 'to' only with a second verb clause.

3. to cause something to become movable or to make resources available for active u

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to cause something to become movable or to make resources available for active use or transfer.

例句

The charity urgently mobilized emergency funds to deliver medicine to the flood zone.

mobilize + funds / capital / resources for urgent action

After six weeks of physiotherapy, Mayumi could finally mobilise her injured knee without pain.

同義詞
  • activate

    broader — can apply to plans, systems, or alarms; 'mobilize' suggests physical or financial movement

  • release

    to make something available; less emphasis on coordinated use

反義詞
  • immobilize

    to stop something from moving or being used; opposite in both physical and financial contexts

  • freeze

    used for assets or funds that are blocked from use

文法句型

mobilize + noun (funds, capital, a joint, a limb)

用法筆記

This sense appears in formal or technical contexts — finance (mobilizing capital), economics (mobilizing reserves), or medicine/physiotherapy (mobilizing a joint). The meaning is always 'to bring something from a fixed or inactive state into active use or movement.'

常見錯誤

❌The team mobilized the project to move forward.
✅The team mobilized resources to move the project forward.
💡'mobilize' applies to the means (people, funds, equipment), not to an abstract project.