gravitas

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹævɪtɑs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæv.ɪ.tɑːs/, /ˈɡɹæv.ɪ.tæs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

gravitas (uncountable)

1. Seriousness in bearing or manner; dignity.
2. (figuratively) Substance, weight.
   • 2014 September 7, Natalie Angier, “The Moon comes around again [print version: Revisiting a moon that still has secrets to reveal: Supermoon revives interest in its violent origins and hidden face, International New York Times, 10 September 2014, p. 8]”, in The New York Times‎:

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

Anagrams

• stravaig

Verb

gravitas

1. present of graviti

Pronunciation

• Homophones: gravita, gravitât

Verb

gravitas

1. second-person singular past historic of graviter

Verb

gravitas

1. present of gravitar

Etymology

From gravis (“heavy”) +‎ -tās

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡra.wi.taːs/

Noun

gravitās f (genitive gravitātis); third declension

1. weight, heaviness
2. severity, harshness
3. importance, presence, influence
4. gravity
5. pregnancy

References

• gravitas in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• gravitas in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• gravitas in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• gravitas in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • healthy climate: caelum salūbre, salubritas caeli (opp. grave, gravitas)
    

Verb

gravitas

1. Second-person singular (tu) present indicative of gravitar

Verb

gravitas

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) present indicative form of gravitar.