magnitude
noun
mag·ni·tude
ˈmag-nə-ˌtüd 
-ˌtyüd
1
a
: great size or extent
cannot wage a war of such magnitude—
A. N. Whitehead
A. N. Whiteheadthe magnitude of an earthquake
2
: the importance, quality, or caliber of something
evil of such magnitude as must, if possible, be prevented—Jane Austen
Jane Austena writer of first magnitude—Richard Plant
Richard Plant3
: a number representing the intrinsic (see intrinsic sense 1a) or apparent brightness of a celestial (see celestial entry 1 sense 2) body on a logarithmic scale in which an increase of one unit corresponds to a reduction in the brightness of light by a factor of 2.512
4
: a numerical quantitative measure expressed usually as a multiple of a standard unit
5
: the intensity of an earthquake represented by a number on an arbitrary scale
a magnitude six earthquake
Synonyms
Examples of magnitude in a Sentence
the magnitude of the issue can scarcely be overstated
the mountain's sheer magnitude usually leaves tourists speechless
Recent Examples on the Web
But the North Korean deployments are of an altogether different magnitude, and the West has few tools to change North Korea’s calculus, as the country is already isolated and heavily sanctioned.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
Two matches of that magnitude indicate that all four stars involved should enter the event with as much momentum as possible.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Advertisement An average of 59 earthquakes with magnitudes of 2.0 to 3.0 occur per year in the Greater Los Angeles area, according to a recent three-year data sample.
—Quakebot, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
The magnitude, of course, skyrockets when tens of thousands of Swifties jump and dance in sync inside a stadium.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Oct. 2024
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Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
Two matches of that magnitude indicate that all four stars involved should enter the event with as much momentum as possible.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Advertisement An average of 59 earthquakes with magnitudes of 2.0 to 3.0 occur per year in the Greater Los Angeles area, according to a recent three-year data sample.
—Quakebot, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
The magnitude, of course, skyrockets when tens of thousands of Swifties jump and dance in sync inside a stadium.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for magnitude
Dictionary Entries Near magnitude
Cite this Entry
“Magnitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnitude. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnitude
noun
mag·ni·tude
ˈmag-nə-ˌt(y)üd
1
a
: great size or extent : bigness
2
: the importance of something in influence or effect
3
: degree of brightness
especially
: a number representing the brightness of a star
4
: the intensity of an earthquake represented by a number on a scale
Medical Definition
magnitude
noun
mag·ni·tude
ˈmag-nə-ˌt(y)üd
: relative size or extent
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