Gravamen - plus, our Word of the Year!

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [December 14, 2017](#none) [Britannica Kids]( gravamen [Audio pronunciation]( noun | gruh-VAY-mun Definition : the [material]( or significant part of a grievance or complaint Scroll down for more about gravamen WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Star Wars Words Quiz]( Is the Force strong in you? [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Plus: [SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW! [>]]( Did You Know? Gravamen is not a word you hear every day, but it does show up occasionally in modern-day publications. It comes from the Latin verb gravare, meaning "to burden," and ultimately from the Latin adjective gravis, meaning "heavy." Fittingly, gravamen refers to the part of a grievance or complaint that gives it weight or substance. In legal contexts, gravamen is used, synonymously with [gist](, to refer to the grounds on which a legal action is sustainable. Gravis has given English several other weighty words, including [gravity](, [grieve](, and the adjective [grave](, meaning "important" or "serious." [Britannica Kids]( Examples of GRAVAMEN The gravamen of Walter's letter to the editor was that the newspaper frequently reported on the school system's failures but rarely covered its successes and improvements. "In the ultimate legal absurdity, even the prosecutors trying the case occasionally are barred from seeing the evidence that provides the gravamen of their arguments." — Petra Bartosiewicz, The Contra Costa (California) Times, 6 Dec. 2009 Word Family Quiz What is the meaning of the adjective gravid (a descendant of Latin gravis)? [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( [Britannica Kids]( WORD OF THE YEAR 2017 Feminism + 9 more Read why feminism is our Word of the Year, plus dotard, syzygy, gaffe, and 6 more top words! [SEE THE FULL LIST [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( [Britannica Kids]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](