gravitate

[grav-i-teyt]

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verb (used without object), grav·i·tat·ed, grav·i·tat·ing.

to move or tend to move under the influence of gravitational force.

to tend toward the lowest level; sink; fall.

to have a natural tendency or be strongly attracted (usually followed by to or toward): Musicians gravitate toward one another.

Origin of gravitate

First recorded in 1635–45, gravitate is from the New Latin word gravitātus (past participle of gravitāre). See gravity, -ate¹

Related formsgrav·i·tat·er, nounsu·per·grav·i·tate, verb (used without object), su·per·grav·i·tat·ed, su·per·grav·i·tat·ing.un·grav·i·tat·ing, adjective

Synonyms for gravitate

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gravitate ON THESAURUS.COM

3. incline, tend, lean, move.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for gravitate

drift, lean, incline, tend, move, drop, settle, descend, precipitate, approach, sink

Examples from the Web for gravitate

Contemporary Examples of gravitate

I kind of felt at that time—because I gravitate towards these types of movies—that I have some similarities with Woody Allen.
Billy Bob Thornton’s Favorite (Dysfunctional) Family Films
Billy Bob Thornton
September 11, 2013
Which makes me gravitate towards a more parsimonious explanation: all economists are, definitionally, very good at college.
Why Do Economists Urge College, But Not Marriage?
Megan McArdle
March 20, 2013
Whether people are on the move in their own countries or across borders, they gravitate toward big cities.
The Forgotten Lives of Refugees
Christopher Dickey
June 19, 2012
Most of their supporters might gravitate to Gingrich, giving him a fighting chance in Florida and beyond.
Newt's Surprising S.C. Strength
Howard Kurtz
January 14, 2012
And gravitate toward noble entities you spy behind froggy appearances.
The Stars Predict Your Week
Starsky + Cox
October 15, 2011

Historical Examples of gravitate

Who that has poached a pile does not gravitate there, as the needle to the pole?
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 2, April 9, 1870
Various
The manifestation of Him must "gravitate inwards" on the soul.
A Dish Of Orts
George MacDonald
The soap is then in a condition to allow the impurities to gravitate.
The Handbook of Soap Manufacture
W. H. Simmons
If it was a body of this kind, would it not gravitate like all other matter?
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 5 (of 10)
Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
They gravitate together, and often marry each other, and are very happy.
Mystery at Geneva
Rose Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for gravitate

gravitate

verb (intr)

physics to move under the influence of gravity

(usually foll by to or towards) to be influenced or drawn, as by strong impulses

to sink or settle

Derived Formsgravitater, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gravitate

1640s, "exert weight, move downward," from Modern Latin gravitatus, past participle of gravitare "gravitate," from Latin gravitas "heaviness, weight" (see gravity). Meaning "To be affected by gravity" is from 1690s. Figurative use from 1670s. Related: Gravitated; gravitating. The classical Latin verb was gravare "to make heavy, burden, oppress, aggravate."