rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: magnus
Latin

magnus

great or large

Forms

  • magnus
  • magn- — Used before other endings.
  • magni- — Used in some compounds.

Origin

An ancient Indo-European size word with relatives in Greek and Germanic.

Note

Size readily extends to importance, force, or esteem.

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noun

magnification

mag-nih-fih-KAY-shuhn/ˌmæɡnɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/

An increase in apparent size.

The lens provides magnification, making the leaf's tiny veins appear larger.

Magnifying glass enlarges a tiny leaf vein section beneath its lens, clearly larger inside lens than outside.
Etymology
magniLatingreat or large
+ficLatindo, make
+ationLatinan action, process, or result

The elements meaning “great” and “make” connect magnification with making something larger. The selected sense concerns apparent enlargement: either the act of enlarging an image or how much larger it appears.

In context

Best Binocular Reviews1:11
these Snipex binoulars have an 8x magnification and thus they will make whatever you look at through them seem 8 times closer or larger
Binoculars 101: What do the numbers on binoculars mean?

More examples

  • At higher magnification, the insect's wings reveal tiny scales.
  • These binoculars offer eight times magnification.
  • The report's magnification of minor risks causes needless alarm.

Forms

magnification · magnifications

magnify verb — To make something appear larger.

magnifier noun — A device that makes objects appear larger.

Similar words

enlargement
Can describe actual growth or a larger copy, not just appearance.