levitate

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verb lev·i·tate \ˈle-və-ˌtāt\

Definition of levitate

levitated

;

levitating

intransitive verb
: to rise or float in or as if in the air especially in seeming defiance of gravitation
transitive verb
: to cause to levitate

See levitate defined for English-language learners

See levitate defined for kids

Examples of levitate in a Sentence

The woman levitated above the stage.
The magician claimed he could levitate a car.

Recent Examples of levitate from the Web

Even with the visual, the chiropractor's little model seems to be levitating next to her!

— sarah schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "A Chiropractor Just Explained How to Carry a Car Seat Without Back Pain," 26 June 2017
Walking on water, levitating into the air — Harry Styles is either auditioning to be Marvel's next superhero or in a new biblical epic in his new music video for Sign of the Times.

— maeve mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Harry Styles drops Jesus-like music video for 'Sign of the Times'," 8 May 2017
Gen. Albert Stubblebine, admitted that his goal in meditation was to learn how to levitate.

— dick teresi, New York Times, "The Truth Is Out There, and the Feds Paid to Find It," 25 Apr. 2017
Almost all of Link’s abilities—most of which are new to this game, and which grant players the wizard-like abilities to stop time, freeze water, and levitate objects—are acquired within the first hour’s play.

— simon parkin, The New Yorker, "The Dazzling Reinvention of Zelda," 8 Mar. 2017
And Marcelo Huertas, the Lakers’ hirsute backup point guard, levitated for multiple crafty finishes at the rim and doled out no-look passes to his teammates.

— andrew keh, New York Times, "As Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant Converge, Basketball Universe Tilts on Its Side," 6 Mar. 2016
The teams showcased different ways to levitate their pods.

— National Geographic, "Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Idea for Sonic Tubular Travel Gets Real," 23 Feb. 2016
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology grad student earned some notice last year for the ZeroN, a levitating 3-D ball that can record and replay how it is moved around by a user.

— ryan tate, WIRED, "This Amazing 3-D Desktop Was Born at Microsoft," 26 Feb. 2013

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

Origin and Etymology of levitate

levity

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First Known Use: 1673

See Words from the same year

LEVITATE Defined for English Language Learners

levitate

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verb

Definition of levitate for English Language Learners

: to rise or make (something) rise into the air in a way that appears to be magical

LEVITATE Defined for Kids

levitate

play

verb lev·i·tate \ˈle-və-ˌtāt\

Definition of levitate for Students

levitated

;

levitating

: to rise or make rise up in the air

Word Root of levitate

The Latin word levis, meaning “lightweight,” gives us the root lev. Words from the Latin levis have something to do with being light in weight. To levitate is to be so light as to rise up into the air. To elevate is to lift something up to a higher level as if it is lightweight. A lever is a bar used to help lift something up by making it feel lighter than it is.