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. )

Explanation

Seriousness is a quality of being calmly intent, or serious. Your seriousness will serve you well when you're studying for an important test. You might talk about the seriousness of an argument between two friends, or the seriousness of your math teacher when she expects the class to pay attention. Sometimes seriousness implies a bit of worry, like when you ask about the seriousness of your grandmother's health problems. The noun seriousness comes from an adjective, serious, with a Latin root, serius, which means "weighty, important, or grave."

Example Sentences

There is a playfulness in the day and there’s a seriousness at night.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

One senior campaign staffer said they resigned after hearing the seriousness of the allegations, adding that they didn’t want to be put in a position where they were using their own credibility to defend Swalwell.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

She expects this trend to continue, “given the seriousness of this condition and the potential with Vykat XR.”

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

“TBPN,” shorthand for Technology Business Programming Network, treats technology news with the seriousness of a sportscaster describing a winning play.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

This, said in all seriousness, earned me a laugh from the players.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

Related Words

• enormity
• gravity
• importance
• significance
• urgency