as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
we knew from the doctor's seriousness that she didn't have good news
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Recent Examples of seriousness
And up until 2022, all of those reports — hundreds each year, sent by mail, fax, and email — were read, assessed for seriousness, and manually entered into a database by OHRP staff.
—
Megan Molteni, STAT, 5 June 2026
Although no successful secession movement has arisen since 1865, contemporary secession movements exist, with varying degrees of seriousness, and in the 21st century polls have shown that interest in secession has been rising.
—Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 3, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
What Chicago needs now is for those instincts to be executed with the speed and seriousness this moment demands.
—Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
The work to preserve our government requires secrecy and seriousness.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 31 May 2026
How ‘Clean Slate’ laws work States have a legal process in which people can petition the courts to seal or expunge old arrests or convictions, depending on the seriousness of the offense and after a certain period of time.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Orange County leadership has already begun discussing how to respond to the rise in injuries, and I am encouraged by their willingness to engage this issue with seriousness and care.
—Myron Rolle, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
This simple setup makes particularly smart use of host Dakota Johnson, whose relatively flat affect isn’t a natural fit for live network sketch comedy but works perfectly for the seriousness of the fake horror heroine.
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
What distinguishes this moment from previous regional tech ambitions that never achieved critical mass is the seriousness of the infrastructure commitment behind it.
—Patrick Chun, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Megan Molteni, STAT, 5 June 2026
Although no successful secession movement has arisen since 1865, contemporary secession movements exist, with varying degrees of seriousness, and in the 21st century polls have shown that interest in secession has been rising.
—Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 3, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
What Chicago needs now is for those instincts to be executed with the speed and seriousness this moment demands.
—Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
The work to preserve our government requires secrecy and seriousness.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 31 May 2026
How ‘Clean Slate’ laws work States have a legal process in which people can petition the courts to seal or expunge old arrests or convictions, depending on the seriousness of the offense and after a certain period of time.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Orange County leadership has already begun discussing how to respond to the rise in injuries, and I am encouraged by their willingness to engage this issue with seriousness and care.
—Myron Rolle, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
This simple setup makes particularly smart use of host Dakota Johnson, whose relatively flat affect isn’t a natural fit for live network sketch comedy but works perfectly for the seriousness of the fake horror heroine.
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
What distinguishes this moment from previous regional tech ambitions that never achieved critical mass is the seriousness of the infrastructure commitment behind it.
—Patrick Chun, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seriousness
Noun
-
Gravitational waves were first proposed in 1915 as part of Albert Einstein's theory of gravity, known as general relativity.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
-
But neither have the gravitas or gravity of Garrett, one of the few in the NFL who compare to former Ram Aaron Donald in terms of how much his presence will suck up the time of opposing offensive coordinators as they game plan.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
-
Even if the earnestness is genuine, Véliz worries that the use of religious terminology and imagery around AI—deliberately or not—can make honest conversation harder to have.—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
As his own self-celebration has fizzled, a void has opened between the scheduled roster of events and the true purpose and meaning of the solemnity of July 4, 2026.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
All the secrecy and almost solemnity added to the anticipation of a launch that was five years in the making.—
Charlotte Reed,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Seriousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seriousness. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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