grounding
Americannoun
-
knowledge of or instruction in the basic principles of a subject.
You'll need a thorough grounding in linguistics to understand the lecture.
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Aeronautics. the act of restricting an aircraft to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc..
The grounding of the aircraft due to fog meant the passengers were stranded.
adjective
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giving or relating to a feeling of being mentally or emotionally balanced due to a peaceful, practical, or realistic outlook.
Her down-to-earth point of view made her a grounding presence in their lives.
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Electricity. being or relating to a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.
Check that all grounding wires are intact before beginning further repairs.
noun
Etymology
Origin of grounding
First recorded in 1640–50; ground 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
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.
Fragrance communities can be a surprisingly grounding place to explore these existential meditations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Are they not joyful or grounding enough to be worthy of enjoyment?
From Salon • May 17, 2026
The city, known as the Air Capital of the World, lost thousands of jobs after the nearly two-year grounding of most Boeing 737 MAX planes and the pandemic’s disruptions of aviation and travel.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
I couldn’t say—I’ve never been to Davos—but I can say this bread is a much-welcomed taste of grounding wholesomeness.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
I’ll tell you, it was worth every minute of the three-day, in-school suspension I got for it, and the one-week grounding when my parents got the letter from the vice-principal.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
