gravitation
gb/ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/ us/ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C1
relation
1
the force of gravity
the force that pulls things down and pulls objects toward each other
Usage pattern:
gravitation
Common mistake:
Learners often use *gravitation* where *gravity* is more natural in everyday English.
Synonyms
gravity (The far more common everyday term.)
Antonyms
antigravity (A (mostly fictional/engineering) idea of counteracting gravity.)
Collocations
the force of gravitation
|gravitation and inertia
|gravitation between bodies
|gravitation near the Earth
|gravitation of the Earth
|gravitation of the Sun
|effects of gravitation
|universal gravitation
|Newtonian gravitation
|gravitation in space
Themes
science
|physics
|space
Examples
- Gravitation keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun.
- Without gravitation, the atmosphere would not stay close to the Earth.
- The experiment measured how gravitation changes with distance.
Learner examples
- Gravitation pulls objects toward the Earth.
Noun
technical
C2
process
2
gravitational attraction as a process
the way gravity makes things move toward each other
Usage pattern:
gravitation of [body] toward [body]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with general 'gravity' (the force) rather than the attraction/motion it causes.
Synonyms
attraction (More general; does not specifically mean gravity unless stated.)
Antonyms
repulsion (A force or effect that pushes bodies apart rather than drawing them together.)
Collocations
mutual gravitation
|gravitation toward the center
|gravitation toward the Sun
|gravitation between two masses
|orbital gravitation
|gravitation effects
|gravitation-driven motion
|gravitation field
|gravitation and orbital motion
|gravitation in a system
Themes
science
|physics
|astronomy
Examples
- The moon’s gravitation toward Earth is balanced by its forward motion, creating an orbit.
- Over time, gravitation caused the dust to clump into larger bodies.
- The simulation shows how gravitation shapes the structure of galaxies.
Learner examples
- Gravitation makes the Moon move toward Earth.
Noun
formal
C1
process
3
a tendency to move toward
a natural tendency to go toward something you like or choose
Usage pattern:
gravitation toward(s) [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Often confused with 'gravity' (the physical force). This meaning is figurative and usually appears with 'toward(s)'.
Synonyms
leaning (More common and less formal; suggests preference.)
|
pull (Often metaphorical; emphasizes attraction or influence.)
Antonyms
avoidance (A tendency to keep away rather than move toward.)
Collocations
gravitation toward
|a gravitation toward the arts
|gravitation toward big cities
|gravitation toward familiar ideas
|gravitation toward one another
|social gravitation
|political gravitation
|natural gravitation
|a sense of gravitation
|gravitation away from
Themes
social_life
|behavior
|preferences
Examples
- In college, she felt a gravitation toward people who loved live music.
- Over time, the conversation showed a gravitation toward politics.
- There’s been a gravitation toward remote work in many industries.
Learner examples
- He felt a gravitation toward science classes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
gravitation
IPA
GB/ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/
US/ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
grav - it - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: gravitation
- Plural: gravitation
Word family
Core family
Related words
gravitationally
adverb C1
Negative and opposite forms
antigravity
noun
Advanced or less common
graviton
noun
gravitas
noun
Expressions
center of gravitation
1/sˈɛntɚ əv ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
main point of attraction
the main place or person that draws others in
Examples
- Over time, the new café became the center of gravitation for the neighborhood.
- In the team, she was the center of gravitation, connecting everyone.
gravitation toward(s) [someone/something]
1/ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən təwˈɔɹdz sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
tendency to move toward
a natural tendency to go toward something you like
Examples
- Her gravitation towards design started in high school.
- In meetings, there’s often a gravitation toward the quickest solution.
- Many tourists show a gravitation toward the old town.
newton's law of universal gravitation
1/nˈutənz lˈɔ əv jˌunəvˈɚsəl ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
Newton’s gravity formula
Newton’s law about how strong gravity is between two objects
Examples
- Newton's law of universal gravitation relates gravitational force to mass and distance.
- We used Newton's law of universal gravitation to estimate the force between the Earth and the Moon.
universal gravitation
1/jˌunəvˈɚsəl ɡɹˌævɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
gravity between all masses
the idea that everything with mass pulls on everything else
Examples
- Universal gravitation explains why objects attract each other across space.
- The lesson introduced universal gravitation before moving on to orbital motion.