Levitating

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈlɛvɪteɪtɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of floating above the ground without any physical support signifies a unique occurrence where gravity seems to have no effect on an object
2. A condition in which an entity appears to defy the gravitational pull, remaining airborne without direct contact with anything
3. Remaining suspended in the air without any visible support or contact with the ground

Etymology: Latin "levis" meant "light," in the sense of having little weight. It is the same root that gave English "light" in its weight sense. From it came the noun "levitas," lightness, and the verb "levitare," to make light or lift up. English took up the noun "levitation" first, and the verb was formed afterward by backing it out of that noun, so it is a back-formation rather than a direct borrowing. The meaning moved from weight to floating because "levitation" was used for bodies rising against gravity. Writers applied it to saints and mystics who were said to rise in religious ecstasy, so the term carried that association into English.

Synonyms: floating, hovering, suspended

Antonyms: falling, descending, plummeting