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
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 location of the parent asteroid was key -- it broke up on the brink of the gravitational 3:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Repeated gravitational nudges from Jupiter can gradually destabilize asteroids in this region.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
As future sky surveys and gravitational lensing observations become even more precise, scientists will have new opportunities to test whether dark matter is truly made of multiple components.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
In larger and more complex environments, some dark matter halos become increasingly compact, producing dense structures capable of generating strong gravitational lensing.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
This means that the very weak gravitational forces between the individual particles in two large bodies, such as the earth and the sun, can all add up to produce a significant force.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
