What does "magnitude" mean?
The absolute or relative size, extent or importance of something.
Magnitude
/ˈmæɡnɪtjuːd/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The absolute or relative size, extent or importance of something.
- Grammar: magnitude is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: absolute, absolute displacement, absolute displacement magnitude, absolute magnitude.
- Useful contrasts: dimness, faintness, insignificance.
- Usage evidence: An earthquake of magnitude 5 shook Tokyo.
How to use "magnitude"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "magnitude" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "magnitude" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "magnitude" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "magnitude" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "magnitude" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absolute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "magnitude", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The absolute or relative size, extent or importance of something. countable, uncountable
"And on a programme of works of this magnitude, passengers will need to be mindful of the age-old maxim of 'no gain without pain'."
- 2 the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small) wordnet
- 3 An order of magnitude. countable
- 4 relative importance wordnet
- 5 A number, assigned to something, such that it may be compared to others numerically countable, uncountable
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a number assigned to the ratio of two quantities; two quantities are of the same order of magnitude if one is less than 10 times as large as the other; the number of magnitudes that the quantities differ is specified to within a power of 10 wordnet
- 7 Of a vector, the norm, most commonly, the two-norm. countable, uncountable
- 8 A logarithmic scale of brightness defined so that a difference of 5 magnitudes is a factor of 100.; The apparent brightness of a star, with lower magnitudes being brighter; apparent magnitude uncountable
- 9 A logarithmic scale of brightness defined so that a difference of 5 magnitudes is a factor of 100.; A ratio of intensity expressed as a logarithm. countable
"Observations in the infrared domain allow one to penetrate the ~25-30 magnitudes of extinction present at visible wavelengths."
- 10 A measure of the energy released by an earthquake (e.g. on the Richter scale). countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonyms absoluteabsolute displacementabsolute displacement magnitudeabsolute magnitudeabsolute valueabsolute values
Antonyms
Example
"An earthquake of magnitude 5 shook Tokyo."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "magnitude"?
Common synonyms include: absolute, absolute displacement, absolute displacement magnitude, absolute magnitude, absolute value, absolute values.
How do you use "magnitude" in a sentence?
An earthquake of magnitude 5 shook Tokyo.
How do you pronounce "magnitude"?
Pronounced /ˈmæɡnɪtjuːd/.
Etymology
From Latin magnitūdō (“greatness, size”), magnus + -tūdō.