gravitational

[ grav-i-tey-shuh-nl ]

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

Other Words From

• gravi·tation·al·ly adverb
• anti·gravi·tation·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitational¹

First recorded in 1850–55; gravitation ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Nonetheless, scientists increasingly believed gravitational waves would be found.

From Science News

Mars’ atmosphere is 99 percent thinner than Earth’s, with a third of its gravitational pull.

From Popular-Science

It contains at least six worlds, five of which are locked together in a particular type of gravitational tango.

From Popular-Science

A second measures the wobbling of Mars' axis of rotation, which will be influenced by a combination of the red planet's composition and the gravitational influences of the rest of the Solar System.

From Ars Technica

In fact, our bodies are so used to the gravitational pull of the Earth that without it, our bones and muscles get weak.

From Science News For Students

Something fascinating is going on in the gravitational dance of galaxies, from watching the slow twirls of the dancers.

From The Daily Beast

The planet is deep in the gravitational well of a black hole, and the black hole would surely have very high tidal forces.

From The Daily Beast

But the probes map the gravitational field along North-South line, which makes the data look stripy.

From The Daily Beast

First, their simulations fail after the gravitational collapse stops, so they cannot show what replaces a black hole.

From The Daily Beast

In the new paper, Laniakea is defined by a gravitational boundary.

From The Daily Beast

According to Boyle, a non-luminous and non-reflecting asteroid has crashed into the earth's gravitational field.

From Project Gutenberg

The mechanism neutralized gravitational pull—objects could float!

From Project Gutenberg

As the intensity of the gravitational field decreased, the velocity of the ship increased—not linearly, but logarithmically.

From Project Gutenberg

"To move around near a heavy mass—in the presence of a strong gravitational field," Arcot said.

From Project Gutenberg

We simply haven't got fuel enough to break loose from this star's gravitational hold, vast as the energy of matter is.

From Project Gutenberg