Gravamen Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Gravamen.

Gravamen (noun)

The gravamen is the most important or serious part of a complaint, claim, or legal action. It refers to the central issue or core point that holds the most weight in a lawsuit or allegation. An example of this would be the main cause of an accident in a motor vehicle claim, such as a driver's negligence. The word comes from Latin, meaning "to weigh down."