- the mass of a body determined by its response to the force of gravity
Compare inertial mass
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
grav′ita′tional mass′, [Physics.]
- Physicsthe mass of a body as measured by its gravitational attraction for other bodies. Cf. inertial mass.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
gravitational mass n
iner′tial mass′, [Physics.]
- Physicsthe mass of a body as determined by the second law of motion from the acceleration of the body when it is subjected to a force that is not due to gravity.
- Physicsthe measure of the property of inertia. Cf. Eötvös experiment, inertia (def. 2a), gravitational mass.
'gravitational mass' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):