Gravitation

noun

/ˌɡrævɪˈteɪʃən/

The fundamental force of mutual attraction between all bodies that have mass, proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

In the absence of a credible federal counterweight, the steady gravitation of fiscal and administrative power towards the Union has progressively hollowed out the autonomy that a truly cooperative federalism presupposes.

Synonyms

attractionpullgravitydrawtendencyinclination

Antonyms

repulsionrepellenceaversiondeflection

🌱 Word Family

gravitational (adj), gravity (n), gravitate (v), gravitationally (adv), gravitas (n)

🔡 Root

Latin gravitātiōnem; gravitās = weight/heaviness; gravis = heavy + -ation = process

📜 Etymology

From Latin gravitātiōnem, from gravitās ("weight, heaviness"), from gravis ("heavy").

🧠 Memory Hook

Think of GRAVE + -ATION: a "grave" (heavy) body pulls everything down towards it — gravis is Latin for "heavy," so gravitation is the heavy pull that draws masses together (and metaphorically draws you towards what attracts you).

⚗️ General Science 📖 Seen in: Mechanics, Motion & Gravitation

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