gravitational
Americanadjective
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Physics. of or relating to the force of attraction between two masses.
The gravitational effect of the moon causes the rise and fall of ocean tides.
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of or relating to a strong movement or natural tendency toward something or someone.
Their gravitational attraction to self-destructive behavior has been the subject of much study.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gravitational
First recorded in 1850–55; gravitation ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing gravitational
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Critics point out that passengers in the wings could be exposed to higher levels of uncomfortable gravitational force when the plane turns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Their central supermassive black holes may then have become locked in a gravitational struggle that launched the lightest black hole toward the edge of the combined galaxy.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
The sphere of joy around him has a gravitational pull that teammates are drawn to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Its principal task was to show that the gravitational pull of the sun increased the wavelength of light rays, the so-called red shift, which would help verify Einstein’s theory of relativity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Under extremely strong gravitational accelerations, even light is affected.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
