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
A. N. Whiteheadthe magnitude of an earthquake
2
: the importance, quality, or caliber of something
evil of such magnitude as must, if possible, be prevented—Jane Austen
Jane Austena writer of first magnitude—Richard Plant
Richard Plant3
: 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
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
However, Bespoke noted that stocks' climb of around 20% is relatively small compared to historical performance in the aftermath of slides of this magnitude in the VIX.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 10 June 2025
Although China is just one of the dozens of countries slapped with tariffs on its exports, the magnitude of products flowing from the country to the U.S. gives it a more outsized role on the trade lane and at the Port of Los Angeles itself.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 June 2025
This is the boldest and biggest plan any candidate has presented in the race — because the city needs a plan of this magnitude to address the housing crisis.
—Zellnor Myrie, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
To quantify the magnitude of this issue, the Pending Home Sales Index, at 71.3, is now lower than at the worst level of the Great Recession in November ’08 when the index’s nadir hit 80.25;
The monthly data series for median home prices almost never falls except in Recessions.
—Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnitude
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alex Harring, CNBC, 10 June 2025
Although China is just one of the dozens of countries slapped with tariffs on its exports, the magnitude of products flowing from the country to the U.S. gives it a more outsized role on the trade lane and at the Port of Los Angeles itself.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 June 2025
This is the boldest and biggest plan any candidate has presented in the race — because the city needs a plan of this magnitude to address the housing crisis.
—Zellnor Myrie, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
To quantify the magnitude of this issue, the Pending Home Sales Index, at 71.3, is now lower than at the worst level of the Great Recession in November ’08 when the index’s nadir hit 80.25;
The monthly data series for median home prices almost never falls except in Recessions.
—Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnitude
Cite this Entry
“Magnitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnitude. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnitude
noun
mag·ni·tude
ˈmag-nə-ˌt(y)üd
1
a
: great size or extent : bigness
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share