gravitate

[ grav-i-teyt ]

verb (used without object)

, grav·i·tat·ed, grav·i·tat·ing.

1. to move or tend to move under the influence of gravitational force.
2. to tend toward the lowest level; sink; fall.
3. to have a natural tendency or be strongly attracted (usually followed by to or toward ):

   Musicians gravitate toward one another.

   Synonyms: move, lean, tend, incline

gravitate

/ ˈɡrævɪˌteɪt /

verb

1. physics to move under the influence of gravity
2. usually foll byto or towards to be influenced or drawn, as by strong impulses
3. to sink or settle

Derived Forms

• ˈgraviˌtater, noun

Other Words From

• gravi·tater noun
• super·gravi·tate verb (used without object) supergravitated supergravitating
• un·gravi·tating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitate¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin gravitātus (past participle of gravitāre “to obey the laws of gravitation,” coined by Sir Isaac Newton ); gravity, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

As the ills of factory farming become more pronounced, people are increasingly gravitating towards vegetarian or pescatarian diets.

From Singularity Hub 

Additionally, he addresses the “rise of the rest” phenomenon, which is the idea that venture capital will gravitate toward cities that have not been the traditional tech hubs.

From Fortune

Given a choice, most people gravitate toward the natural over the artificial.

From Nautilus

That money is gravitating toward the campaigns at a moment when many publications are being compelled to cover adjacent topics instead, with no campaign trail to report from.

From Digiday

I would go so far as to say that mathematicians themselves come in these two flavors, too — at least, they tend to gravitate to one of the two poles.

From Quanta Magazine

People everywhere gravitate to smart lovers, because an intelligent partner comes with a host of sexy perks.

From The Daily Beast

And I always gravitate towards things that are not beautiful, but broken and weird and fascinating.

From The Daily Beast

I kind of felt at that time—because I gravitate towards these types of movies—that I have some similarities with Woody Allen.

From The Daily Beast

Which makes me gravitate towards a more parsimonious explanation: all economists are, definitionally, very good at college.

From The Daily Beast

Whether people are on the move in their own countries or across borders, they gravitate toward big cities.

From The Daily Beast

Hither does every soul in the place, at some hour or other of the day, inevitably gravitate.

From Project Gutenberg

The more matured Quakers and Quakeresses generally gravitate hitherwards.

From Project Gutenberg

All instinctively gravitate toward him, and never wish to break off their association with him.

From Project Gutenberg

I never knew a fool that sooner or later didn't gravitate to chickens.

From Project Gutenberg

Sooner may you expect the sun with all the planetary system will rush from their shining spheres, to gravitate round a pebble.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• drift
• incline
• lean
• tend