seriousness

American  

[seer-ee-uhs-nis] / ˈsɪər i əs nɪs /

noun

1. earnest or sincere character or attitude.

   The proposal was talked about, but I can't say with how much seriousness it was discussed.

2. solemn or somber character or attitude.

   Is that why your face is so grim—you're fighting to maintain seriousness and not laugh at the speaker’s name?

3. the quality of showing or requiring deep thought or concentration.

   The two chefs approach their gourmet cuisine with the pensive seriousness others might bring to a difficult math problem.

4. the quality of being important or weighty, or of giving cause for concern.

   We need educational tools that convey the seriousness of copyright infringement, as well as its consequences and penalties.

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Other Word Forms

• half-seriousness noun
• nonseriousness noun
• overseriousness noun
• superseriousness noun
• ultraseriousness noun
• unseriousness noun

Etymology

Origin of seriousness

serious ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

"It does reflect the seriousness of the growth in antisemitism and its impact on our country and our democracy," she said.

From BBC

The U.S. attorney’s office argued that a sentence of 90 days in custody “reflects the seriousness of the offense given the defendant’s history,” according to the memorandum.

From Los Angeles Times

It includes Sontag’s “Notes on ‘Camp,’” among whose 58 numbered observations is: “In naïve, or pure, Camp, the essential element is seriousness, a seriousness that fails.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The symptoms, which are indicative of a heart attack, persisted, but the seriousness of the situation did not properly register with him at the time.

From BBC

We need the intellectual seriousness to treat this as an empirical question, not something we can settle with dogma.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• enormity
• gravity
• importance
• significance
• urgency