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

“We recognize the seriousness of the current league position of our men’s team,” Tottenham said.

From The Wall Street Journal

That mix of seriousness and playfulness ran throughout the evening.

From Los Angeles Times

In assessing the fine amount, the ICO said it considered the seriousness of the incident, the sensitivity of the data involved and the impact on the affected person.

From BBC

This alleges that "on 13 July 2021, you did not treat information passed to yourself by Jaysley Beck in a manner consistent with its seriousness".

From BBC

"He said we had to understand the seriousness of pursuing that vision of coming together to celebrate common humanity," he says.

From BBC

Related Words

• enormity
• gravity
• importance
• significance
• urgency