serious: Meaning and Definition of

se•ri•ous

Pronunciation: (sēr'ē-us), [key]
— adj.
  1. of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.
  2. of grave or somber disposition, character, or manner: a serious occasion; a serious man.
  3. being in earnest; sincere; not trifling: His interest was serious.
  4. requiring thought, concentration, or application: serious reading; a serious task.
  5. weighty or important: a serious book; Marriage is a serious matter.
  6. giving cause for apprehension; critical: The plan has one serious flaw.
  7. (of a patient's condition) having unstable or otherwise abnormal vital signs and other unfavorable indicators, as loss of appetite and poor mobility: patient is acutely ill.
—n.
  1. that which is of importance, grave, critical, or somber: You have to learn to separate the serious from the frivolous.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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