magnification

noun

mag·​ni·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce magnification (audio)
1
: the act of magnifying
2
a
: the state of being magnified
b
: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument

called also power

Examples of magnification in a Sentence

We used a microscope to examine the cells under magnification. At higher magnifications the differences between the cells become clear.
Recent Examples on the Web With lower magnification than a telescope, binoculars resolve many of the objects only as hard-to-identify smudges, and the observer can lose track of a galaxy with an accidental shake of their hands. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 The clock face features hands that are partially both brushed and polished, plus 12 hour markers that are 0.1 mm thick and are painted by hand using a camera with 100x magnification. Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The operating microscope is a critical element in microsurgery, offering high magnification (15-40x) and precise control over the surgical area. The Doctors Clinic, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 This mirror is 12 inches in width and has a 10X magnification. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 Enlarge / Under a magnification of 1,125x, this photomicrograph of a blood specimen revealed the presence of intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum ring-form trophozoites. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 13 Oct. 2023 The lens focuses to about 9.8 inches (measured from the sensor) throughout its zoom range, so its largest macro magnification is at the 18mm focal length. PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024 The higher this number, the higher the baseline magnification of your bird will be. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2024 At left, one of the fossils, with stacks of thylakoids highlighted using yellow bars; at right, a higher magnification of the end of the cell. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnification.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of magnification was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near magnification

Cite this Entry

“Magnification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnification. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

magnification

noun
mag·​ni·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce magnification (audio)
1
: the act of magnifying
2
a
: the state of being magnified
b
: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument

called also power

Medical Definition

magnification

noun
mag·​ni·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce magnification (audio)
1
: the act of magnifying
2
a
: the state of being magnified
b
: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument that is the ratio of the dimensions of an image formed by the instrument to the corresponding dimensions of the object

called also power

More from Merriam-Webster on magnification

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