Gravitative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or caused by the force of attraction between masses, especially as described by Newton's laws of motion
2. Pertaining to the attractive force that acts between bodies with mass, particularly as defined in the context of gravitational theories
3. Associated with the force that draws together particles or objects with mass, particularly in the framework of classical physics

Etymology: Gravitative is a plain formation: the verb "gravitate," meaning to move or tend toward something under a pull, with the suffix "-ive" added to turn it into an adjective meaning "relating to or having the tendency of" that action. The verb itself comes from "gravity," which descends from Latin "gravitas," meaning weight or heaviness, from "gravis," heavy. So the adjective carries the original idea of weight within it, even though its modern use is technical. In classical physics, the word describes whatever relates to the attractive force that draws objects with mass toward one another. Its meaning is narrow and specialized, which is why it appears mostly in scientific writing rather than everyday speech. Few readers will meet it outside textbooks and technical discussions of gravitational effects.

Synonyms: attractive, pulling