ENGLISH
REFERENCE

magnitude

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈmæɡnəˌtud// UK //mˈæɡnɪtjˌuːd// mag·ni·tude

n. the great size, importance, or power of something. It is often used when talking about how big a problem is or how strong an earthquake is.

n. the great size or extent of something; the degree of brightness of a star or the amount of energy released by an earthquake. Often used to emphasize the scale of abstract concepts like importance or impact.


SIMPLE

We did not realize the magnitude of the problem at first.

CONTEXTUAL

The government struggled to respond effectively because they underestimated the magnitude of the economic crisis.

COMPLEX

Astronomers categorize stars by their apparent magnitude, a scale that measures brightness as seen from Earth rather than the actual physical size or total energy output of the celestial body.

Origin

From Latin magnitūdō (“greatness, size”), magnus + -tūdō.

Usage

Often used in the phrase 'of such magnitude' or followed by 'of' to describe the scale of a noun.

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