magnitude

noun

mag·​ni·​tude ˈmag-nə-ˌtüd 

-ˌtyüd

1

a

: great size or extent

… cannot wage a war of such magnitude …

—A. N. Whitehead

the magnitude of an earthquake

b(1)

: spatial quality : size

… able to operate only over distances of very small magnitude …

—George W. Gray †1960

(2)

: quantity, number

The savings in amounts of metal … will be of dramatically significant magnitudes.

—American Fabrics

2

: the importance, quality, or caliber of something

… evil of such magnitude as must, if possible, be prevented.

—Jane Austen

a writer of first magnitude

—Richard Plant

3

: a number representing the intrinsic (see intrinsic sense 1a) or apparent brightness of a celestial (see celestial entry 1 sense 2) body on a logarithmic scale in which an increase of one unit corresponds to a reduction in the brightness of light by a factor of 2.512

4

: a numerical quantitative measure expressed usually as a multiple of a standard unit

5

: the intensity of an earthquake represented by a number on an arbitrary scale

a magnitude six earthquake

Synonyms of magnitude

• significance
• importance
• import
• consequence

Examples of magnitude in a Sentence

the magnitude of the issue can scarcely be overstated

the mountain's sheer magnitude usually leaves tourists speechless

Recent Examples on the Web

Running leftward is a row of other stars, including 2nd-magnitude Mirach (reddish) and Almach (orange). —Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Nov. 2025

No boss of a peer firm had compensation of the magnitude that Tesla shareholders voted for Musk, at roughly $100 billion a year on the high end. —Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2025

Hair loss was reported more frequently in patients with a greater weight loss (≥20%) suggesting that the events of hair loss were potentially related to the magnitude of weight loss. —Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 14 Nov. 2025

While none of them are of the magnitude that Juan Soto was a year ago, there are still some All-Star players other teams could steal from the Yankees. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin magnitudo, from magnus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing magnitude

• absolute magnitude
• apparent magnitude
• order of magnitude

Rhymes for magnitude

• altitude
• amplitude
• aptitude
• attitude
• barbecued
• certitude
• desuetude
• devalued
• finitude
• fortitude
• gratitude
• interlude

Kids Definition

magnitude

noun

mag·​ni·​tude ˈmag-nə-ˌt(y)üd 

1

a

: great size or extent : bigness

b

: size entry 1 sense 1

2

: the importance of something in influence or effect

3

: degree of brightness

especially : a number representing the brightness of a star

4

: the intensity of an earthquake represented by a number on a scale

Medical Definition

magnitude

noun

mag·​ni·​tude ˈmag-nə-ˌt(y)üd 

: relative size or extent