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- DictionaryMag·ni·tude/ˈmaɡnəˌto͞od/
noun
- 1. the great size or extent of something: "they may feel discouraged at the magnitude of the task before them" Similar immensityvastnesshugenessenormityenormousnessexpansesizeextentgreatnesslargenessbignessOpposite smallness
- ▪ great importance: "events of tragic magnitude" Similar importanceimportsignificanceweightmomentconsequencemarknotabilitynotegreatnessdistinctioneminencefamerenownintensitypowerOpposite triviality
- 2. size: "electorates of less than average magnitude" Similar sizeextentmeasureproportionsdimensionsbreadthvolumeweightquantitymassbulkamplitudecapacitystrengthdegreegaugemeasurementextension
- ▪ a numerical quantity or value: "the magnitudes of all the economic variables could be determined" Similar valueindexindicatormeasurenormorderquantitynumbervectorfigure
- 3. the degree of brightness of a star. The magnitude of an astronomical object is now reckoned as the negative logarithm of the brightness; a decrease of one magnitude represents an increase in brightness of 2.512 times. A star with an apparent magnitude of six is barely visible to the naked eye: "the brightest stars have the lowest magnitudes" Similar brightnessbrillianceradianceluminosityabsolute magnitudeapparent magnitude
- ▪ the class into which a star falls by virtue of its brightness: "a star of the fifth magnitude"
- ▪ a difference of one on a scale of brightness, treated as a unit of measurement: "a range of a tenth of a magnitude"
Word Origin late Middle English (also in the sense ‘greatness of character’): from Latin magnitudo, from magnus ‘great’.
Scrabble Points: 13
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