Main Entry: mag·ni·tude

Pronunciation: \ˈmag-nə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\

Function: noun

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

Date: 15th century

1 a : great size or extent b (1) : spatial quality : size (2) : quantity, number
2 : the importance, quality, or caliber of something
3 : a number representing the intrinsic or apparent brightness of a celestial 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>