antigravity n.

a hypothetical force opposed to that of gravity

SF Encyclopedia

  • 1906 F. L. Keates Man in the Air in Scrap Book May 461/2 bibliography

    A disk of platinum coated with my new preparation, in which, I may say, radium plays some part, has a propelling power of immense force. I say ‘propelling power,’ but between you and me, I don’t think that conventional term properly applies to the strange force. For want of better name I am temporarily referring to it by the ridiculous and wholly inadequate name of ‘Anti-Gravity.’

  • 1952 Astounding Science Fiction Feb. 70/2

    ‘They have antigravity! Isn’t that it?’ ‘Yes…. Of course, it couldn’t be a complete gravity screen by any means. But it seems to be a good long step toward it.’

  • 1984 D. Brin Practice Effect ii.vi.36 David Brin bibliography

    The idea of antigravity excited Dennis.

  • 1990 I. Watson Flies of Memory i. 17 Ian Watson

    Lew talked instead during the flight about antigravity.

  • 1992 D. Knight Why Do Birds (1994) 165 Damon Knight

    You think they had antigravity or something?

Research History
Mike Christie has submitted a cite from 1939.
Brian Ameringen submitted a cite from a 1947 edition of John Campbell's "The Mightiest Machine". We'd like to check the 1935 magazine printing.
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a 1987 reprint of Olaf Stapledon's "Star Maker".
Rick Hauptmann submitted a 1932 cite from J. M. Walsh's "The Vanguard to Neptune".
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2014 cite from Stephen Coonts.
Simon Koppel submitted a 1906 example from an unsigned story in a British newspaper; Jesse Sheidlower converted it to the original, by Frederick L. Keates in The Scrap Book, May 1906.

Earliest cite in the OED: 1949.

Last modified 2021-04-07 13:23:40
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.