entry
levity
/ˈlɛvəti/Lightness of manner; lack of appropriate seriousness
From Latin, from French transmission lev- (Light in weight).
from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having little weight." In old science (16c.-17c.), the name of a force or property of...
from Latin levitās (“lightness, frivolity”)
from French levite
Word Ancestry
from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having little weight." In old science (16c.-17c.), the name of a force or property of...
from Latin levitās (“lightness, frivolity”)
from French levite
The word’s history begins with a physical sensation: something that weighs little. Latin levis meant “light,” and its noun levitās could describe both literal lightness and a person’s figurative lack of gravity. English took the word through French levite, with levity recorded in the 1560s; by the 16th and 17th centuries, it could even name the supposed force that made bodies rise, opposite gravity. That history links levity and gravity as verbal opposites, though their deeper roots are different. So when someone cracks a joke at a solemn moment, they are briefly making the room feel lighter—sometimes welcome, sometimes not.
The Story
The word’s history begins with a physical sensation: something that weighs little. Latin levis meant “light,” and its noun levitās could describe both literal lightness and a person’s figurative lack of gravity. English took the word through French levite, with levity recorded in the 1560s; by the 16th and 17th centuries, it could even name the supposed force that made bodies rise, opposite gravity. That history links levity and gravity as verbal opposites, though their deeper roots are different. So when someone cracks a joke at a solemn moment, they are briefly making the room feel lighter—sometimes welcome, sometimes not.
Modern Usage
Inappropriate humor during serious matters that lessens dread.
Notable References
- The Terminator: “Your levity is good, it relieves tension and the fear of death.”
Kin & Kindred
From 'lev-'·Light in weight; figuratively, light-minded or unserious
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary