# gravity

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡɹævɪti/ · frequency rank #5,046

## Definitions
1. Senses relating to seriousness.
2. Senses relating to seriousness.
3. Senses relating to seriousness.
4. Senses relating to physical qualities.
5. Senses relating to physical qualities.
6. Senses relating to physical qualities.
7. Senses relating to physical qualities.
8. Senses relating to physical qualities.
9. Senses relating to physical qualities.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *gʷreh₂-
Proto-Indo-European *-us
Proto-Indo-European *gʷréh₂us
Proto-Italic *gʷraus
Latin gravis
Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-ts
Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts
Proto-Italic *-tāts
Latin -tās
Latin gravitāslbor.
French gravitébor.
▲
Latin gravitāslbor.
English gravity
Borrowed from French gravité (“seriousness, solemnity; severity; (physics) gravity”), or from its etymon Latin gravitās (“heaviness, weight; seriousness; severity”) + English -ity (suffix forming nouns, especially abstract nouns). Gravitās is derived from gravis (“heavy; grave, serious”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷreh₂- (“heavy”)) + -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns indicating states of being). The English word was first used figuratively, and gained the senses relating to physical qualities in the 17th century. Doublet of gravitas.

## Easily confused with
- **gravy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gravity-vs-gravy)
- **grainy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grainy-vs-gravity)
- **granite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/granite-vs-gravity)
- **gravely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gravely-vs-gravity)
- **gratuity** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gratuity-vs-gravity)
- **gravitas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gravitas-vs-gravity)

## Common misspellings (11)
`garvity`, `ggravity`, `graivty`, `gravitty`, `gravityy`, `graviyt`, `gravtiy`, `gravvity`, `grravity`, `grvaity`, `rgavity`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gravity