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

The magnitude of the human carnage and physical destruction was overwhelming. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Some do recall the morning but struggle to convey the magnitude of pain and fear to students for whom 9/11 is another date in a social studies course timeline. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Survivors, even now, still grapple with their private grief, while those born after the attacks (or those who were too young at the time to remember) try to process the magnitude of the carnage. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Asked why Richardson had to be removed from the starting lineup before the magnitude of his role sunk in, Ballard compared him to a child being told to clean their room. — James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

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