What does weightlessness mean?
Weightlessness is the state of experiencing no apparent weight, as in a freely falling object or an astronaut aboard an orbiting spacecraft. The term is especially common in aviation, spaceflight, and scientific discussion. Strictly speaking, objects in orbit remain under Earth's gravitational pull; their weightlessness results from continuous free fall, so gravity and weightlessness are not direct opposites in every physical sense. In everyday language, the word evokes the buoyant and disorienting sensation of floating and can figuratively suggest freedom from burdens or constraints. Because it names a condition rather than a physical substance, weightlessness is normally treated as an uncountable noun. It is most natural in phrases such as “in weightlessness” and “the weightlessness of space,” while microgravity is preferred in technical descriptions of an orbital environment.
nounThe state of experiencing no apparent weight, especially during free fall or in an orbiting spacecraft.
- The state of having no apparent weight or experiencing no downward pull, as in free fall or orbital spaceflight.
"For a moment, the astronauts floated in the exposed bay, wrapped in the strange weightlessness of orbital flight."
"The spacecraft's controlled descent briefly reproduced the weightlessness of orbital flight."
"She described the weightlessness as both exhilarating and strangely disorienting."
Usually uncountable; plural forms are unnecessary in ordinary usage.
"The sensation of weightlessness lasted for several minutes."
Weightlessness is not the absence of gravity: an orbiting astronaut is still pulled toward Earth while continuously falling around it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does weightlessness come from?
Weightlessness was formed in English from weight, the suffix -less, and the noun-forming suffix -ness. Its elements have Germanic ancestry: weight comes from Old English wæht and is related to weigh, while -less reflects Old English lēas and -ness reflects Old English -nes. The compound became established during the 20th century as aviation and spaceflight made the sensation widely familiar.
How weightlessness is actually used
Usually a formal or technical noun. In spaceflight, it describes the bodily condition associated with free fall; microgravity is the more technical term for the corresponding acceleration environment.
Easily confused with weightlessness
Weightless is an adjective describing something that has no weight, whereas weightlessness is the noun naming the state or condition of having no apparent weight.