seriousness

American  

[seer-ee-uhs-nis] / ˈsɪər i əs nɪs /

noun

1. earnest or sincere character or attitude.

   The proposal was talked about, but I can't say with how much seriousness it was discussed.

2. solemn or somber character or attitude.

   Is that why your face is so grim—you're fighting to maintain seriousness and not laugh at the speaker’s name?

3. the quality of showing or requiring deep thought or concentration.

   The two chefs approach their gourmet cuisine with the pensive seriousness others might bring to a difficult math problem.

4. the quality of being important or weighty, or of giving cause for concern.

   We need educational tools that convey the seriousness of copyright infringement, as well as its consequences and penalties.

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Other Word Forms

• half-seriousness noun
• nonseriousness noun
• overseriousness noun
• superseriousness noun
• ultraseriousness noun
• unseriousness noun

Etymology

Origin of seriousness

serious ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Rosenberg and Bardey, the defence's expert witnesses, disagree, saying it instead highlights that Jeffries does not remember his legal restrictions and the seriousness of the situation.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

That is a readiness target, not a go date, but it has become shorthand to convey the threat’s seriousness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

“There’s an inconsistency between the seriousness of war and the informality of social media,” said Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Well, in all seriousness, quite a few characters in this story are pursuing their own revenge plots.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

He needed her to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

Related Words

• enormity
• gravity
• importance
• significance
• urgency