Meaning & use
gravamen
Last updated
The most serious or significant part of a complaint, accusation, or grievance.
See it in a sentence
The gravamen of the lawsuit was that the company had knowingly sold a defective product.
Stripped of legal jargon, the gravamen of his argument was simple: he felt betrayed.
A note on using this word
A formal legal term, but increasingly used more broadly to mean the core point of any complaint or argument.
Words with a similar meaning
cruxessence
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