magnification
noun
Simple meaning
The ratio of the size of an image to the size of the object.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
magnuhfuhkayshuhnSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
mæɡnəfəˈkeɪʃən
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The ratio of the size of an image to the size of the object
The apparent enlargement of an object in an image, for example using a lens, or by zooming in on a computer.
The act of expanding something in apparent size
The act of magnifying; enlargement; exaggeration.
Amplification.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The ratio of the size of an image to the size of the object
Used this way, magnification is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This sense is about measurement, so it is used where accuracy is the point.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Academic writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Splendid or imposing in size or appearance.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- microscopenoun
- lensnoun
- enlargementnoun
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.