gravitas
noun
grav·i·tas
| \ ˈgra-və-ˌtäs
, -ˌtas\
, -ˌtas\
Definition of gravitas
: high seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject)
had the gravitas of a deep thinker
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Examples of gravitas in a Sentence
The new leader has an air of gravitas that commands respect.
a comic actress who lacks the gravitas for dramatic roles
The new leader has a certain gravitas.
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Recent Examples on the Web
But Church also has unquestioned scientific gravitas, having helped develop genome sequencing as well as CRISPR genome editing, and founded or advised dozens of biotech companies. — Sharon Begley, STAT, "Citing ‘nerd tunnel vision,’ biologist George Church apologizes for contacts with Jeffrey Epstein," 5 Aug. 2019 Some expressed concerns that the House lawmaker, who was viewed as a partisan, did not come with the gravitas of Coats, as a former senator. — Jonathan Lemire, Twin Cities, "Trump pick for national intelligence director is withdrawing," 3 Aug. 2019 Some expressed concerns that the House lawmaker, who was viewed as a partisan, did not come with the gravitas of Coats, who had longtime relations as a former senator. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Trump pick for national intelligence director is withdrawing," 2 Aug. 2019 Some expressed concerns that the House lawmaker, who was viewed as a partisan, did not come with the gravitas of Coats, as a former senator. — Mary Clare Jalonick And Jonathan Lemire, chicagotribune.com, "Trump says his pick for national intelligence director is withdrawing amid questions over his experience," 2 Aug. 2019 Some expressed concerns that the House lawmaker, who was viewed as a partisan, did not come with the gravitas of Coats, who had longtime relations as a former senator. — Jonathan Lemire, The Denver Post, "Trump’s pick for national intelligence director, Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe, is withdrawing," 2 Aug. 2019 The gravitas of this place also exerts a pull on politicians who want to lay claim to its emotional power and aspirational symbolism. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, "Forget the tanks. Trump’s violation of the Lincoln Memorial is the real offense.," 3 July 2019 This pratfall exposed Pei’s incomprehension of popular culture and his inability to express rebellious music architecturally and instead invested the design with the gravitas of a national memorial. — Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, "I.M. Pei: Establishment Modernism Lite," 24 May 2019 With moves inspired by the Three Stooges, the low clowns are riotously played with a gleeful gravitas by Silas Cooper as Dogberry, Aubrey Brummett as Verges, and Adolfo Rodriguez and Sarah Durn as the Watch. — nola.com, "Wittiness and romance make ‘Much Ado’ quite something at Tulane Shakespeare Fest," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gravitas.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for gravitas
gravitas
noun
English Language Learners Definition of gravitas
formal
: a very serious quality or manner
See the full definition for gravitas in the English Language Learners Dictionary