GRAVITATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does gravitation mean? 

• GRAVITATION (noun)
  The noun GRAVITATION has 3 senses:

1. (physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface

2. movement downward resulting from gravitational attraction

3. a figurative movement toward some attraction

  Familiarity information: GRAVITATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GRAVITATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

gravitation; gravitational attraction; gravitational force; gravity

Context example:

gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love

Hypernyms ("gravitation" is a kind of...):

attraction; attractive force (the force by which one object attracts another)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gravitation"):

solar gravity (the gravity of the sun)

Derivation:

gravitate (move due to the pull of gravitation)

gravitational (of or relating to or caused by gravitation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Movement downward resulting from gravitational attraction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

irrigation by gravitation rather than by pumps

Hypernyms ("gravitation" is a kind of...):

change of location; travel (a movement through space that changes the location of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gravitation"):

drop; fall (a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity)

Antonym:

levitation (movement upward in virtue of lightness)

Derivation:

gravitate (move due to the pull of gravitation)

gravitational (of or relating to or caused by gravitation)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A figurative movement toward some attraction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

the gravitation of the middle class to the suburbs

Hypernyms ("gravitation" is a kind of...):

drift; movement; trend (a general tendency to change (as of opinion))

Derivation:

gravitate (be attracted to)

gravitate (move toward)

 Context examples 

She was drawn by some force outside of herself and stronger than gravitation, strong as destiny.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The way we represent the universe and its history are described by Einstein's equations of general relativity, Newton's universal gravitation and quantum mechanics.

(There May Be No Dark Matter, Dark Energy in Universe, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

They have likewise discovered two lesser stars, or satellites, which revolve about Mars; whereof the innermost is distant from the centre of the primary planet exactly three of his diameters, and the outermost, five; the former revolves in the space of ten hours, and the latter in twenty-one and a half; so that the squares of their periodical times are very near in the same proportion with the cubes of their distance from the centre of Mars; which evidently shows them to be governed by the same law of gravitation that influences the other heavenly bodies.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)