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.
The object’s classification as a sednoid also means the gravitational influence of Neptune has little to no effect on it.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 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
Batygin and Brown argued that something with a large gravitational pull must be affecting their orbit, and proposed planet nine as a potential explanation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
But if you throw a rock fast enough, it won’t curve back down to earth; it will zoom out of the earth’s atmosphere and escape the earth’s gravitational pull.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
