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gravity

grav·i·ty

gravity

 
 
pronunciation:
grae v ti
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
part of speech: noun
inflections: gravities
definition 1: the force by which a planet or other such body tends to draw objects toward its center.
On Earth, objects fall to the ground because of the pull of gravity.
 
synonyms:
pull
similar words:
attraction
definition 2: gravitational attraction or movement.
synonyms:
gravitation, pull
similar words:
attraction
definition 3: weight.
synonyms:
heaviness, mass
definition 4: seriousness in consequence or in manner.
He didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation.We were taken aback by the gravity with which he now spoke.
synonyms:
consequence, import, importance, moment, seriousness, significance, sobriety, solemnity
antonyms:
comedy, levity
similar words:
depth, graveness, magnitude, urgency, weight
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Word History
The word gravity comes from a Latin word that means "heavy." Its first meaning in English was "seriousness and dignity." It was first used as a scientific term for the force that causes objects to have weight in 1641. A year later, Sir Isaac Newton was born, and Galileo died.
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