gravity

The word “gravity” means the force that pulls objects toward the center of the earth, or more generally, that pulls masses toward each other. In plain terms, the physical force that pulls things downward, or figuratively, the seriousness of a situation.

“Gravity” is pronounced GRA-vih-tee (/ˈɡɹævɪti/ in IPA).

Here is “gravity” used in a sentence: “The apple fell from the tree due to gravity.”

“Gravity” is a noun.

The word “gravity” comes from Latin. From French gravité or Latin gravitās ("heaviness, seriousness"), from gravis ("heavy, serious"). A doublet of "gravitas".

“Gravity” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Gravity” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the force that pulls objects toward the center of the earth, or more generally, that pulls masses toward each other.

"Gravitation" is the general natural phenomenon by which masses attract one another. "Gravity" often refers specifically to the pull of the Earth, or another body, on nearby objects. In everyday use the two are frequently treated as the same.

Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward a mass such as the Earth, while weight measures how strongly gravity pulls on a particular object. Weight changes with the strength of gravity, but the object's mass stays the same.

Both describe how serious something is. "Gravity" emphasises weighty importance and solemnity, as in the gravity of a decision, while "severity" stresses harshness or intensity, as in the severity of a punishment or an illness.