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
The fire department in Naypyidaw said the woman was successfully pulled from the rubble 91 hours after being buried when the building collapsed in the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit midday Friday.
—David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
Given the magnitude of the cuts, this seems unlikely.
HHS reaches into the lives of all Americans.
—Simon F. Haeder, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
The death toll from Myanmar's powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake continues to climb amid rescue efforts.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
An aftershock of magnitude 6.7 was recorded about 11 minutes later, the first of several sizable tremors that followed the first one.
—Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 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.
David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
Given the magnitude of the cuts, this seems unlikely.
HHS reaches into the lives of all Americans.
—Simon F. Haeder, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
The death toll from Myanmar's powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake continues to climb amid rescue efforts.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
An aftershock of magnitude 6.7 was recorded about 11 minutes later, the first of several sizable tremors that followed the first one.
—Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 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 14 Apr. 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