gravity

noun, often attributive grav·i·ty \ ˈgra-və-tē \

Definition of gravity

plural gravities

1 a :dignity or sobriety of bearing

a person of gravity and learning

b :importance, significance; especially :seriousness

the gravity of the offense

c :a serious situation or problem

2 :weight

3 a (1) :the gravitational attraction of the mass of the earth, the moon, or a planet for bodies at or near its surface

(2) :a fundamental physical force that is responsible for interactions which occur because of mass between particles, between aggregations of matter (such as stars and planets), and between particles (such as photons) and aggregations of matter, that is 10^-39 times the strength of the strong force, and that extends over infinite distances but is dominant over macroscopic distances especially between aggregations of matter — called also gravitation, gravitational force; compare electromagnetism 2a, strong force, weak force

b :acceleration of gravity

c :specific gravity

See gravity defined for English-language learners

See gravity defined for kids

Examples of gravity in a Sentence

the hospital waiting room was filled with the kind of gravity that inevitably accompanies worry

Recent Examples of gravity from the Web

Over the decades, gravity caused a collapse of the layers.

— alicia ault, Smithsonian, "A Moonwalk Did Not Destroy Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit, Now Time Won’t Either," 28 Aug. 2017
The boats will hit turns at upwards of 130 mph, make a sharp 90-degree turn in places, generate g-forces of up to five times standard gravity and decelerate to about 90 mph before resuming top speed in about 150 yards.

— steve bittenbender, The Courier-Journal, "Inaugural Louisville Regatta Grand Prix kicks off Saturday," 18 Aug. 2017
There is also stuff out there in space that has gravity.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "The space quiz: Test your knowledge about the eclipse, our solar system and beyond," 15 Aug. 2017
Any drag behind the bomber's center of gravity would help stabilize the plane.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Time a B-52 Landed Without a Tail Fin," 1 Aug. 2017
Climb into a fabric hammock at Culver City’s Aerial Warehouse for a take on traditional yoga that is said to make inverted poses easier by counteracting gravity (and even temporarily easing back pain by lengthening the spine).

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Despite the fact that there is a whole planet pulling down on that balloon with all the gravity that its six billion trillion tonnes can provide, your party trick is enough to thwart it.

— The Economist, "If the universe was not “fine-tuned”Reflections on the fine-structure constant," 13 July 2017
Just as the premature babies are defying death, with their organ systems not completely formed, the nurses' hairstyles were defying the force of gravity.

— michelle matthews, AL.com, "Mobile hospital starts hair-raising challenge for premature babies," 11 July 2017
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Evelyne Sire-Marin emphasized the gravity of lying about issues of public interest.

— yves sciama, Science | AAAS, "French scientist who lied about conflicts of interest to the Senate gets suspended 6-month sentence," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gravity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gravity

Middle French or Latin; Middle French gravité, from Latin gravitat-, gravitas, from gravis — see ⁴grave

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1505

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gravity Synonyms

Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum

GRAVITY Defined for English Language Learners

gravity

noun

Definition of gravity for English Language Learners

: a very serious quality or condition : the condition of being grave or serious
: the natural force that tends to cause physical things to move towards each other : the force that causes things to fall towards the Earth

GRAVITY Defined for Kids

gravity

noun grav·i·ty \ ˈgra-və-tē \

Definition of gravity for Students

plural gravities

1 :a force of attraction that tends to draw particles or bodies together

2 :the attraction of bodies by the force of gravity toward the center of the earth

3 :great seriousness

Word Root of gravity

The Latin word gravis, meaning “heavy” or “serious,” gives us the root grav. Words from the Latin gravis have something to do with heaviness or seriousness. Something grave, or important, such as a situation, requires serious thought and consideration. To aggravate is to make a situation more serious. Gravity is a force that pulls everything towards the ground making it feel heavy.