What is the term for the movement of tectonic plates?

The term for the movement of tectonic plates is "tectonism." This refers to the broader process of deformation and movement within Earth’s lithosphere, which includes how tectonic plates interact, shift, and deform the crust as a result of forces acting from the mantle and other geological phenomena. Understanding tectonism is crucial because it encompasses various types of movements, including those leading to earthquakes, mountain building, and oceanic trench formation.

Subduction describes a specific type of tectonic plate interaction where one plate sinks beneath another, while transform refers to plates sliding past one another. Convection, on the other hand, relates to the circulation of material in the mantle caused by heat, which ultimately drives the tectonic plate movements. However, tectonism is the overarching term that encompasses all of these processes, making it the most appropriate choice to describe the movement of tectonic plates.