gra·va·men
(grə-vā′mən)n. pl. gra·va·mens or
gra·vam·i·na (-văm′ə-nə) Law The main claim or most important aspect of a complaint against a defendant.
[Medieval Latin gravāmen, injury, accusation, from Late Latin, encumbrance, obligation, from Latin gravāre, to burden, from gravis, heavy; see grave2.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
gravamen
(ɡrəˈveɪmɛn) n,
pl -vamina (
-ˈvæmɪnə)
1. (Law) law that part of an accusation weighing most heavily against an accused
2. (Law) law the substance or material grounds of a complaint
[C17: from Late Latin: trouble, from Latin gravāre to load, from gravis heavy; see grave2]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
gra•va•men
(grəˈveɪ mən)
n., pl. -vam•i•na (-ˈvæm ə nə) the part of an accusation weighing most heavily against the accused.
[1595–1605; < Late Latin: trouble, physical inconvenience = Latin gravā(re) to load, weigh down (derivative of gravis heavy, burdened) + -men n. suffix]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
gravamen
a grievance, especially one that is the cause of a legal action.
See also: Discontent-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.