amplitude

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noun am·pli·tude \ -ˌtüd , -ˌtyüd \

Definition of amplitude

1 :the extent or range of a quality, property, process, or phenomenon: such as

a :the extent of a vibratory movement (as of a pendulum) measured from the mean position to an extreme

b :the maximum departure of the value of an alternating current or wave from the average value

2 :extent of dignity, excellence, or splendor

3 :the quality or state of being ample :fullness, abundance

… the long unerring lines, the sweep and amplitude of the great artist's stroke …
—Edith Wharton

4 mathematics :the angle assigned to a complex number when it is plotted in a complex plane using polar coordinates — called also argument; compare absolute value 2

5 :the height achieved on a jump by a snowboarder, skateboarder, skier, etc.

" … a lot of my strength in snowboarding is my amplitude … "
—Shaun White

See amplitude defined for English-language learners

See amplitude defined for kids

Examples of amplitude in a Sentence

the amplitude of Thomas Jefferson's interests—government, architecture, agriculture, science, philosophy—is truly awesome

Recent Examples of amplitude from the Web

Rock, in the right spot, is a record of planetary history, eras as long as millions of years flattened by the forces of geological time into strata with amplitudes of just inches, or just an inch, or even less.

— david wallace-wells, Daily Intelligencer, "When Will the Planet Be Too Hot For Humans? Much, Much Sooner Than You Imagine.," 9 July 2017
The wave may reach maximum amplitude in the lower middle troposphere.

— carlie kollath wells, NOLA.com, "What's the difference between a tropical cyclone and a hurricane?," 19 June 2017
By teaching computers to differentiate between the different amplitudes and frequencies that make up sounds, Zysman said, the sensor could offer cities a low-tech option to measuring traffic flow and density.

— jennifer lu, miamiherald, "From prosthetic hands to bands that jam, innovations shine at eMerge Americas," 12 June 2017
That’s because, despite Malick’s daringly collage-like assemblage of images that only dart across the surfaces of their narrative elements, the movie has a rich, complex, thoroughly imagined plot of a novelistic amplitude.

— richard brody, The New Yorker, "“Song to Song”: Terrence Malick’s Romantic Idealism," 16 Mar. 2017
That works because Goji has added to the RF technology precise sensors that can read the makeup, thickness and moisture of the food and appropriately adapt the frequency, phase and amplitude of the radio waves.

— randy rieland, Smithsonian, "This Oven Could Change How We Cook," 17 Feb. 2017
Ms. Gerrity has warmth, delicacy, loveliness; Ms. Kikta has heroic amplitude and terrific impetus; Ms. Phelan has fantasy, poetry, liquidity.

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "Fresh Dewdrops for New York City Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’," 29 Dec. 2016
From the timing and amplitude of those intermittent twinkles, the team could determine their sizes and orbits.

— National Geographic, "New Earth-Size Planets Would Be Nothing Like Earth," 2 May 2016
Calvert interprets the package of higher amplitude reflectors (darker color) as the underthrusting Juan de Fuca plate.

— brian romans, WIRED, "Subduction Denialism, Part 3: Sedimentation in the Cascadia subduction zone," 14 Nov. 2008

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amplitude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.