gravitas

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US/ˈɡɹævɪtɑs/US/ˈɡɹɑvɪtɑs/UK/ˈɡɹæv.ɪ.tɑːs/UK/ˈɡɹæv.ɪ.tæs/

noun

Seriousness in bearing or manner; dignity.

UncommonScrabble 12

Meanings

noungravitas (uncountable)
  1. uncountableSeriousness in bearing or manner; dignity.
    1 more example

    “Because he refuses to level with the American people about the dangers which he has placed American troops and our diplomatic corps, personnel and civilians, as well as our partners and allies, or demonstrated even a modicum of presidential gravitas, I will attempt to do that,” said Mr. Biden, who is one of 14 candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

    2020 January 7, Katie Glueck, Shane Goldmacher, “Joe Biden, Seeking Commander-in-Chief Moment, Denounces Trump’s Iran Escalation”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 19 Apr 2020
  2. figurativelyuncountableSubstance, weight.

    Unlike most moons of the solar system, ours has the heft, the gravitational gravitas, to pull itself into a sphere.

    2014 September 7, Natalie Angier, “The Moon comes around again”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 31 Jul 2020
    3 more examples

    The other campaign against Ms. Yellen has been subtler, involving repeated suggestions — almost always off the record — that she lacks the “gravitas” to lead the Fed. What does that mean? […] Sorry, but it’s hard to escape the conclusion that gravitas, in this context, mainly means possessing a Y chromosome.

    2013 August 2, Paul Krugman, “Sex, Money and Gravitas”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2020

    [Liz Truss] fails to display intellectual gravitas, they say, relying instead upon cheap slogans, and struggles to make convincing speeches, another facet of her character that could be quickly exposed under the intense scrutiny of Downing Street.

    2022 July 30, “‘Ambition greater than ability’: Liz Truss’s rise from teen Lib Dem to would-be PM”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 19 Aug 2022

    It's a light rail system, after all, although it does operate at the heavier end of the light rail spectrum. Yet it doesn't have the history or the gravitas that (say) London Underground has.

    2023 November 29, Richard Foster, “Tyne & Wear Metro goes with the flow”, in RAIL, number 997, page 32

Synonyms & antonyms

nounformality in bearing and appearance

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷreh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*gʷréh₂us
  3. Proto-Italic*gʷraus
  4. Latingravis
  5. Latingravitās
  6. Englishgravitas

Borrowed from Latin gravitās (“weight, heaviness”). Doublet of gravity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Bedeutung, Gewichtigkeit
  • Bedeutungseriousness
  • Gewichtigkeitseriousness
  • Würdeseriousness
  • Würdehaftigkeitseriousness
  • Gravitätseriousness
Italian sussiego
  • sussiegoseriousness
Polish powaga
  • powagaseriousness
Turkish ciddiyet
  • ciddiyetseriousness

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

gravitas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravitas

MLA

“gravitas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravitas. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gravitas,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravitas.

Source: gravitas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.