Magnitude Definition

măgnĭ-to͝od, -tyo͝od

noun

Greatness.

Webster's New World

Size or measurable quantity.

The magnitude of a velocity.

Webster's New World

Loudness (of sound)

Webster's New World

Importance or influence.

Webster's New World

A number representing the apparent brightness of a celestial body: originally a number in a scale of values 1-6 and applied only to objects (excluding the sun and moon) visible to the naked eye, with the brightest stars at c. 1.5 (1 is the first magnitude) and stars at c. 6 (sixth magnitude) being barely visible, the scale now includes the sun (at −26.7) and moon (c. −12.7 when full) as well as the faintest objects visible telescopically (c. 36): each increase of one magnitude represents an increase of 2.512 times the brightness.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Magnitude

Noun

Singular:

magnitude

Plural:

magnitudes

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Magnitude

of the first magnitude

Origin of Magnitude

Middle English from Old French size from Latin magnitūdō greatness, size from magnus great meg- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Latin magnitÅ«dō (“greatness, size"); magni- +"Ž -itude

From Wiktionary