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

While officials and infectious disease experts have been quick to note the seriousness of the rodent-borne disease, they have also stressed key differences between hantavirus and COVID-19.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

While Latifi leaves readers to make their own conclusions about the ethics of family vlogging, she takes a hard stance on the seriousness of her subject: “It’s not silly, and it is work.”

From Salon • May 10, 2026

That disappointment was shared internally, and it underpinned the seriousness with which everyone engaged in this process.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

But funding a nongambler’s entrance into the gambling world as a kind of comedic protagonist not only puts the writer at risk but also flattens the seriousness of the story’s subject.

From Slate • May 5, 2026

She paused, cleared her throat, her tone taking on an ever deeper seriousness.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• enormity
• gravity
• importance
• significance
• urgency