noun
Common
magnitude
MAG-niht-yood
Magnitude (noun) means the size, scale, or importance of something. Example: “Nobody had realised the magnitude of the task ahead.”
noun
1
The size, scale, or importance of something.
"Nobody had realised the magnitude of the task ahead."
"Officials are only now grasping the magnitude of the disaster."
"A project of this magnitude will take years to finish."
2
A number on a scale used to measure how strong an earthquake is.
"The magnitude of the tremor was too small for anyone to feel."
"Scientists measure the magnitude of each earthquake using instruments called seismographs."
"The quake registered a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale."
3
(astronomy) A number on a scale used to measure how bright a star or other object appears.
"Astronomers compare stars by their magnitude, where smaller numbers mean brighter objects."
"On a dark night you can see stars down to about sixth magnitude."
"The star has an apparent magnitude of about 1.4, making it easy to spot."
How to use magnitude
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow big, strong, or significant something is — often used for disasters, problems, earthquakes, and star brightness.
Common pairings
order of magnitude
the magnitude of the problem
earthquake magnitude
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Word forms
- Plural
- magnitudes
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Nobody had realised the _____ of the task ahead.
Etymology
From Latin magnitudo, "greatness", built from magnus, "great".
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for magnitude
See all rhymes for magnitude →Frequently asked questions
What does “magnitude” mean?
The word “magnitude” means the size, scale, or importance of something. In plain terms, how big, strong, or significant something is — often used for disasters, problems, earthquakes, and star brightness.
How do you pronounce “magnitude”?
“Magnitude” is pronounced MAG-niht-yood (/ˈmæɡnɪtjuːd/ in IPA).
How do you use “magnitude” in a sentence?
Here is “magnitude” used in a sentence: “Officials are only now grasping the magnitude of the disaster.”
What part of speech is “magnitude”?
“Magnitude” is a noun.
Where does the word “magnitude” come from?
The word “magnitude” comes from Latin. From Latin magnitudo, "greatness", built from magnus, "great".
Is “magnitude” a common word?
“Magnitude” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “magnitude” have?
“Magnitude” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the size, scale, or importance of something.
What is the difference between the magnitude and the intensity of an earthquake?
Magnitude is a single number on a scale that measures how strong the earthquake itself is at its source. Intensity measures how strongly the shaking is felt, and how much damage it causes, at a particular place, so it varies from location to location. One earthquake has one magnitude but many different intensities.
In astronomy, does a higher magnitude mean a brighter star?
No, the scale runs the opposite way to what most people expect. In astronomy, magnitude measures how bright a star or other object appears, and lower numbers mean brighter objects; the very brightest objects have negative magnitudes. A star of magnitude 1 therefore appears much brighter than a star of magnitude 6.
Is magnitude just a formal word for size?
In everyday use, largely yes: magnitude refers to the size, scale, or importance of something, as in "the magnitude of the task," and it belongs to a formal register. It also has technical senses, as the number measuring an earthquake's strength and the scale of a star's apparent brightness, where no plainer word substitutes.
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