gravitation
gravitation, gravity
noun grah-vee-tah-SYOHN Rare
Origin: Latin gravitatio, from gravitas (weight)
Usage Note
Gravitation is the formal scientific term covering Newton's and Einstein's theories of gravitational attraction. The everyday word for the force keeping you on the ground is more often la pesanteur or la gravité. La gravitation universelle is the standard phrase for Newton's law.
Examples
"La gravitation maintient les planètes en orbite."
Natural Translation
Gravitation keeps the planets in orbit.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic