Important and not to be taken lightly, or showing deep thought and not joking. It can also mean severe or dangerous, as in a serious problem or injury.
From Latin 'serius' meaning 'grave, earnest', possibly related to a root meaning 'weighty'. It entered English through French in the Middle Ages.
Calling something 'serious' is like putting a weight label on it—this matters, handle with care. Interestingly, in conversation, 'Are you serious?' often tests both truth and importance at the same time.
Women, especially in professional and academic settings, have often been told they are not 'serious' or 'serious enough', while their concerns (e.g., about harassment or care work) were treated as trivial. At the same time, 'serious' has been used to gatekeep fields coded as masculine.
Apply 'serious' to topics and work regardless of gender, and avoid using it to dismiss issues more often raised by women or marginalized groups.
["substantive","important","high-stakes","non-trivial"]
When discussing 'serious' work in science, politics, or art, explicitly include women and gender-diverse contributors whose work has historically been sidelined or labeled as less serious.
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