gravitation

[ grav-i-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. Physics.
   1. the force of attraction between any two masses. Compare law of gravitation.
   2. an act or process caused by this force.
2. a sinking or falling.
3. a movement or tendency toward something or someone:

   the gravitation of people toward the suburbs.

gravitation

/ ˌɡrævɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the force of attraction that bodies exert on one another as a result of their mass
2. any process or result caused by this interaction, such as the fall of a body to the surface of the earth

gravitation

/ grăv′ĭ-tā′shən /

1. See gravity

gravitation

1. The force , first described mathematically by Isaac Newton , whereby any two objects in the universe are attracted toward each other. Gravitation holds the moon in orbit around the Earth , the planets in orbit around the sun , and the sun in the Milky Way . It also accounts for the fall of objects released near the surface of the Earth. The modern theory of gravitation is the general theory of relativity .

Other Words From

• gravi·tation·al adjective
• nongrav·i·tation noun
• nongrav·i·tation·al adjective
• super·gravi·tation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitation¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin gravitātiōn- (stem of gravitātiō ), derivative of gravitāre “to obey the laws of gravitation”; gravitate, -ion

Example Sentences

It is vastly different from how things work at bigger scales, where objects from baseballs to automobiles follow Newton’s laws of mechanics and gravitation, consistent with our own bodily experiences.

From Nautilus

The idea goes back a century, when Arthur Eddington, a British astronomer and polymath, pitted Einstein’s theory of general relativity against Newton’s theory of gravitation in a friendly but fiery challenge.

From Singularity Hub 

To understand why, the starting point is to realize that general relativity replaces Newton’s theory of gravitation by showing that matter directly influences spacetime.

From Nautilus

There is a greater mismatch between entropic disorder and reality in the very heart of Newton’s theory of universal gravitation.

From Nautilus

The agents which assist gravitation in bearing this detritus downward are many, but they all work together for the same end.

From Project Gutenberg

For instance, a theory of creation which would neglect the attraction of gravitation would be manifestly false.

From Project Gutenberg

It was one of the great forces of nature, which we call gravitation, and the force which kept it in motion we call momentum.

From Project Gutenberg

Clusters of stars may give us velocities much more remarkable still, but which are explained by the theory of gravitation.

From Project Gutenberg

Universal gravitation, invisible force, which the visible universe (what we call matter) obeys.

From Project Gutenberg