gravitational

[ grav-i-tey-shuh-nl ]

adjective

1. Physics. of or relating to the force of attraction between two masses:

   The gravitational effect of the moon causes the rise and fall of ocean tides.

2. of or relating to a strong movement or natural tendency toward something or someone:

   Their gravitational attraction to self-destructive behavior has been the subject of much study.

Other Words From

• gravi·tation·al·ly adverb
• anti·gravi·tation·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitational¹

First recorded in 1850–55; gravitation ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

X, with its vast network of researchers, exerted a gravitational pull that drew them back.

From Science Magazine

Next, Medvedev said his theory can be tested with collection of more data from the Crab Pulsar and fine-tuned by factoring in its powerful and strange gravitational and polarization effects.

From Science Daily

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and are generally very predictable.

From Los Angeles Times

It cannot carry enough fuel to motor itself all the way alone, so it will piggyback off the momentum of Earth and Mars’s gravitational pull.

From BBC

No matter how lofty the concept, regardless of how successfully it launches, the gravitational pull of “giving the people what they want” has a way of loosening the bolts on an otherwise tight fuselage.

From Salon