gravitational
Americanadjective
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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.
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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.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of gravitational
First recorded in 1850–55; gravitation ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing gravitational
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One surprise was that teachers were susceptible to the gravitational mass.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
However, the Earth’s gravitational pull is such that the Moon also orbits the planet every 27 days.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
The gravitational pull of an undiscovered planet, several times larger than Earth, was seen as a possible reason for the discrepancy.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
In theory, entangled quantum states can detect extremely small differences in magnetic fields or gravitational fields between separate locations.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026
Occasionally, one member of a double-star system explodes, breaking the gravitational shackles that bound its companion, which then leaps into space at its former orbital velocity, a slingshot in the sky.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
