levitation

noun

lev·​i·​ta·​tion ˌle-və-ˈtā-shən 

: the act or process of levitating

especially : the rising or lifting of a person or thing by means held to be supernatural

levitational

ˌle-və-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Examples of levitation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seven months later, playing for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Carter capped his year of levitation by jumping over France’s 7-2 center, Frederic Weis, en route to a violent, yet somehow, also, elegant, slam in a preliminary round game. —Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025

The University of Virginia (UVA) School of Engineering and Applied Science is taking a major step in ultra-high-temperature ceramics research by establishing a pioneering electromagnetic levitation (EML) system. —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2025

Urged by the Wizard and Madame Morrible to grant the Wizard's monkey captain of the guard, Chistery, the power of levitation, Elphaba reads a spell that causes Chistery—along with the rest of the palace's monkeys—to undergo a painful wing-sprouting transformation against their will. —Megan McCluskey, TIME, 22 Nov. 2024

The capsule operated autonomously with onboard power for propulsion and levitation. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin levitātiōn-, levitātiō, from Latin levis "light" + New Latin -itātiōn-, -itātiō in gravitātiō gravitation — more at light entry 4

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing levitation

• magnetic levitation

Rhymes for levitation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

levitation

noun

lev·​i·​ta·​tion ˌlev-ə-ˈtā-shən 

: the act or process of levitating

especially : the rising or lifting of a person or thing as if by magic