anti-gravity

The term is a modern compound, constructed from classical elements to describe a scientific concept. The prefix "anti-," of Greek origin, has been a productive component in English since the 16th century for forming words that denote opposition. It is combined with "gravity," which entered English from Latin gravitas, itself derived from the adjective gravis meaning "heavy." The literal, ancient sense of "heaviness" evolved through scientific discourse to specifically mean the universal force of attraction between masses. Thus, "antigravity" logically builds from these parts to mean "that which works against gravitational force," a concept central to both theoretical physics and science fiction narratives.

Structure: anti (against) + gravity (gravitational force) - anti: From Greek, via Latin and French. A prefix meaning "against," "opposite of," or "preventing." - gravity: From Latin gravitas ("weight, heaviness"). In physics, it denotes the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth or any other physical body having mass.