gravitation

American  

[grav-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌgræv ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Physics.

   1. the force of attraction between any two masses.

   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.

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gravitation British  

/ 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

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gravitation Scientific  

/ grăv′ĭ-tā′shən /

1. See gravity

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gravitation Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

• gravitational adjective
• nongravitation noun
• nongravitational adjective
• supergravitation noun

Etymology

Origin of gravitation

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

Explanation

In physics, gravitation is the force that pulls two masses toward each other. Believe it or not, every single particle of matter in the universe exerts gravitation on every other particle. The terms gravitation and gravity are often used interchangeably for the attraction between everything with energy or mass. While gravity is specifically the pull of an object toward the Earth, gravitation describes this fundamental force more generally. Sir Isaac Newton's 17th-century Law of Gravitation states that "every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them."

Example Sentences

Newton wrote the law of universal gravitation, inspired by a falling apple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Jones did it by showing that Ricardo had made these universal rules that he said were as certain as the principle of gravitation.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2025

"The challenge of unifying quantum mechanics with the theory of gravitation remains one of the most pressing unsolved problems in physics," said co-author Benjamin Jones, associate professor of physics.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2024

While TV station owners are enjoying the changing tide by picking up valuable sports programming, they know the audience’s gravitation to streaming is not going to reverse.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2023

This is the meaning of the word “universal” as applied to Newtonian gravitation.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan