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

Given the seriousness of the King's objectives – with no less than the future of US-UK relations at stake – his speech was, at times, whimsical.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

This was the sound of uncompromising moral seriousness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Still, I was surprised and slightly amused when Noah asked, in all seriousness, if I would like to go to a yoga class with him and then get dinner afterward.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 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

I wanted to show that I understood the seriousness of the matter and appreciated that I was the one he’d chosen to confide in.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• enormity
• gravity
• importance
• significance
• urgency