antigravity

[ an-tee-grav-i-tee, an-tahy- ]

noun

1. Physics. the antithesis of gravity; a hypothetical force by which a body of positive mass would repel a body of negative mass.
2. (not in technical use) a controllable force that can be made to act against the force of gravity.

adjective

1. (not in technical use) counteracting the force of gravity:

   The antigravity drive in this spaceship will enable us to reach Polaris.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antigravity¹

First recorded in 1940–45; anti- + gravity

Example Sentences

But antigravity avoids that problem, Chardin says, and it could also do away with two of the biggest puzzles in cosmology: the mysterious dark matter whose gravity keeps the galaxies intact and the even weirder dark energy that is stretching space and accelerating the expansion of the universe.

From Science Magazine

Gabriel Chardin, a cosmologist with CNRS, France’s national research agency, says, “It’s a beautiful experiment by outstanding people” and “a blow” to speculative theories that assume antimatter experiences antigravity—but not yet a fatal wound.

From Science Magazine

What’s more, even a tiny stray magnetic field could send a disproportionate number out the top of the trap, creating a spurious antigravity signal.

From Science Magazine

The data agreed much better with simulations in which the antihydrogen experiences ordinary gravity than those in which they experienced antigravity or no gravity at all, the researchers report today in Nature.

From Science Magazine

Did anyone seriously consider the possibility that antimatter would experience antigravity?

From Science Magazine