Definition

1. Noun:
   • A figurative movement toward some attraction: A tendency to move toward or be drawn to something, often used metaphorically for social or psychological trends.
   • Movement downward resulting from gravitational attraction: The natural movement of objects downward due to the force of gravity, as in a flow or fall.
   • (Physics) The force of attraction between all masses in the universe: The fundamental physical phenomenon by which all objects with mass are attracted to one another. Its strength depends on the masses of the objects and the distance between them.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Figurative movement):

  • There has been a noticeable gravitation of young professionals toward urban centers.
  • The political debate showed a gravitation toward more extreme viewpoints.

• Noun (Downward movement):

  • The ancient aqueducts relied on the gravitation of water from the mountains.
  • The rockslide occurred due to simple gravitation down the steep slope.

• Noun (Physical force):

  • Newton's law of universal gravitation describes the attraction between celestial bodies.
  • The moon's orbit is maintained by Earth's gravitation.

Advanced Usage

• "Law of universal gravitation": The scientific principle, formulated by Isaac Newton, stating that every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
  • Understanding the law of universal gravitation was a cornerstone of classical physics.

Variants and Related Words

• Gravitate (verb): To move toward or be attracted to something.
  • People tend to gravitate toward others with similar interests.
• Gravitational (adjective): Relating to or caused by gravity.
  • The gravitational pull of Jupiter is very strong.
• Gravity (noun): The natural force that causes things to fall toward the earth or any physical body having mass. (Note: Often used interchangeably with 'gravitation' in physics, though 'gravity' commonly refers specifically to the force near a celestial body like Earth).
  • The gravity on Mars is about 38% of that on Earth.

Synonyms

• Attraction: The action or power of evoking interest or drawing something in.
• Pull: A force that moves something in a particular direction.
• Drift: A continuous, slow movement from one place to another.

Related Phrases

• Center of gravitation: A point from which gravitational attraction appears to act; the center of gravity.
  • The spacecraft's stability depends on its center of gravitation.
• Gravitation constant (G): The empirical physical constant involved in the calculation of gravitational force.
  • The gravitation constant is a key value in astrophysical calculations.

Related Idioms

• "The gravitation of the situation": A metaphorical phrase describing an inevitable pull toward a certain outcome or reality.
  • Despite their disagreements, the gravitation of the situation forced them to cooperate.

Noun

1. a figurative movement toward some attraction
   • the gravitation of the middle class to the suburbs
2. movement downward resulting from gravitational attraction
   • irrigation by gravitation rather than by pumps
3. (physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface
   • the more remote the body the less the gravity
   • the gravitation between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
   • gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love--Albert Einstein