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   Mag·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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