Move Out: Definition, Examples & How to Use It

Meaning 1：leave home (move out)

move out 🔊

/muːv aʊt/

phr.v.

to leave your current home and take all your things with you to live somewhere new.

Young person moving out with cardboard box and moving truck

leave home 🔊

➕

/liːv hoʊm/

phr.v.

To depart from one's current residence, taking all possessions, to live elsewhere, typically signifying a life change or independence.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin movere (to change position) + Old English ūt (outside).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a box labeled 'MOVE' being carried 'OUT' the door—transition to a new life.

📖 Example

After finishing university, Sarah decided to move out of her parents' house and get her own apartment. 🔊 After finishing university, Sarah decided to move out of her parents' house and get her own apartment.

🔗 Collocations

move out of the house – to vacate a dwelling

move out date – the scheduled day for leaving a property

move out notice – a formal written notification of intention to vacate

🔄 Synonyms

vacate (v.) – to leave a place, especially a building or seat

relocate (v.) – to move to a new place and establish a new home

depart (v.) – to leave a place, often for a journey

🚫 Antonyms

move in (phr.v.) – to begin living in a new home

settle (v.) – to establish a permanent residence

stay (v.) – to remain in one place

🌱 Derivatives

move-out (n.) – the act or process of vacating a residence, often used in rental contexts

moving out (gerund) – the action of leaving a home

📖 Cultural Story

Commonly used in Western cultures for young adults gaining independence by leaving their family home for their own place, often marking a rite of passage.