gravitas

GRAV-ih-tuhs

meaning in plain English

Imagine a senior officer walking into a room, shoulders squared and voice calm, and everyone instantly feels his seriousness. That deep, dignified feeling is called gravitas.

Think of a judge’s gravitas—like a heavy gavel that commands silence.

for example

The CEO’s gravitas made the staff listen carefully during the emergency announcement.

When someone carries gravitas, they act like a sturdy oak in a storm—steady, dignified, and impossible to ignore. It’s the quiet power that makes people trust what they say.