gravity

noun, often attributive

grav·i·ty | \ ˈgra-və-tē

plural gravities

Definition of gravity

1a : 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

3a(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 sense 2a, strong force, weak force

b : acceleration of gravity

c : specific gravity

Other Words from gravity Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about gravity

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Examples of gravity in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Inside a black hole there is no light, no gravity, no time. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Just Wait Until Fashion Designers Get Their Hands on This Black Hole Picture," 10 Apr. 2019 In Pilates, your muscles are working to lift against gravity and (in the case of the reformer) the resistance of the springs or bands, with the ultimate goal of strengthening and isolating the right muscles. — Emily Abbate, SELF, "8 Things to Know Before You Take Pilates Classes," 2 Jan. 2019 There's also a giant rotating exterior ring to generate additional artificial gravity, specifically to maintain the colony domes. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Nightflyers has the bloody body count we expect from George R.R. Martin," 29 Nov. 2018 Researchers injected their simulated environment with changes to gravity, hand angle and other variables so the software learns to operate in a way that is adaptable. — Ryan Nakashima, The Seattle Times, "A robotic hand can juggle a cube _ with lots of training," 31 July 2018 See, in addition to having uncanny recall and a firm relationship with gravity, elephants have their testicles nestled deep within their bodies, all the way up near their kidneys. — New York Times, "The Evolutionary Origin of Descending Testicles," 29 June 2018 But a 10% year-over-year sales decline last month showed that not even Geely can defy gravity in a sinking market. — Trefor Moss, WSJ, "More Signs of Trouble in China’s Auto Market," 14 Nov. 2018 Tony Hawk just turned 50—50!—and after decades defying gravity, he's learned that a more down-to-earth lifestyle is an adrenaline rush. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "How Does an Action Sports Superstar Age? Tony Hawk Is Figuring It Out on the Fly," 2 July 2018 Listeners from both sides of the pond were emulating the hairstyle that attempted to defy gravity. — Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, "Flock of Seagulls singer Mike Score recalls overnight success with 'I Ran': 'It was a bit much'," 28 June 2018

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.