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 prospect of identifying inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries years before future space-based gravitational wave detectors come online is extremely exciting," concludes Professor Kocsis.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
But it is the first function—store of value—where the dollar’s real gravitational pull operates.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Kinsella noted that the company is working on a larger program with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that aims to fly the first-ever quantum sensor for measuring Earth’s gravitational field in orbit.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Unburdened by the gravitational pull of parental expectations or affection, the alleged weirdo is free to find her way to happiness by whatever means she sees fit.
From Salon • May 20, 2026
Like light, gravitational waves carry energy away from the objects that emit them.
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.
