magnitude

noun mag·ni·tude \ ˈmag-nə-ˌtüd , -ˌtyüd \

|Updated on: 3 Jul 2018

Examples: magnitude in a Sentence

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
—G. W. Gray

(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 1a) or apparent brightness of a celestial (see ¹celestial 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

See magnitude defined for English-language learners

See magnitude defined for kids

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 of magnitude from the Web

The last time Russia hosted an event of this magnitude—the Winter Olympics in Sochi—the home nation’s athletes were embroiled in a widespread doping controversy.

— joshua robinson, WSJ, "Russian Soccer’s Foreign Agent," 24 June 2018
After all, allowing law enforcement officers a warrantless tool of this magnitude gives them something of a superpower.

— cyrus farivar, Ars Technica, "Supreme Court surveillance opinion nudges us to think nationally, act locally," 24 June 2018
That’s just inexcusable for an event of this magnitude.

— bruce jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "As Lionel Messi fades, a Croatian great rises," 21 June 2018
As the world knows, the magnitude of this tragic disaster caused by Hurricane Maria resulted in many fatalities.

— alexia fernández campbell, Vox, "Stunning new Hurricane Maria death toll confirms Puerto Rico’s devastating losses after the storm," 30 May 2018
The magnitude of the abomination almost forbids that it be mentioned in the same breath as any other horror.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "How American Racism Influenced Hitler," 23 Apr. 2018
The success of a summit of this magnitude isn't measured in a day.

— eric talmadge, Fox News, "Analysis: What to look for at US-North Korea summit," 10 June 2018
The last time James made a decision of this magnitude, wife Savannah hadn't given birth to their daughter, Zhuri, who will be 4 in October.

— tribune news service, OregonLive.com, "LeBron James' free agency decision: Family priorities, 'championship mode' could collide," 9 June 2018
Normally a settlement of this magnitude would be trumpeted in news releases from the EPA and the Department of Justice.

— michael hawthorne, chicagotribune.com, "EPA deal marks dramatic shift away from dirty coal power in Chicago area," 24 May 2018

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