What does gravity mean?
Gravity is the force that attracts bodies with mass toward one another. On Earth, it produces the familiar downward acceleration of falling objects, while in the broader physical sense it is the attraction known as gravitation. The word also means seriousness, dignity, or importance, especially when describing a person’s manner, a voice, or the character of a situation: a solemn statement can be said to have gravity. These figurative uses suggest that something is weighty, consequential, and worthy of close attention. Gravity is therefore useful in both precise scientific writing and formal or literary prose, where it can describe physical forces or the profound tone of events and speech. Its Latin ancestry links its two central meanings: Latin gravitas meant physical weight as well as seriousness and dignity, so the figurative sense developed naturally from the idea of something heavy or weighty.
nounGravity is the force that attracts bodies with mass toward one another; on Earth, it produces the familiar downward acceleration of falling objects. By extension, it refers to seriousness, importance, dignity, or solemn weight.
- The attractive force between bodies with mass.
- The downward pull toward Earth or another massive body.
- Seriousness, solemnity, dignity, or importance of manner, speech, or situation.
"The lecture had such gravity that even the children fell silent."
"Gravity keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth."
"The judge delivered his verdict with the gravity of the occasion."
The plural is grammatically standard but much less common than the usual singular and mass-noun uses. It may refer to different gravitational pulls or figuratively to different serious or solemn qualities.
"The two planets have noticeably different gravities."
Every jump is a brief argument with gravity—and gravity usually wins.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How gravity is actually used
The noun is common in both ordinary and scientific English. Its figurative uses often have a formal or literary tone but are not archaic, and there is no significant British–US difference in usage or pronunciation.
Easily confused with gravity
Gravitation is the broader attraction or interaction between masses, while gravity commonly refers to the force associated with that interaction.