MAGNIFICATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does magnification mean? 

• MAGNIFICATION (noun)
  The noun MAGNIFICATION has 4 senses:

1. the act of expanding something in apparent size

2. the ratio of the size of an image to the size of the object

3. making to seem more important than it really is

4. a photographic print that has been enlarged

  Familiarity information: MAGNIFICATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MAGNIFICATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of expanding something in apparent size

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("magnification" is a kind of...):

enlargement; expansion (the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope)

Derivation:

magnify (increase in size, volume or significance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The ratio of the size of an image to the size of the object

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("magnification" is a kind of...):

ratio (the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient))

Derivation:

magnify (make large)

magnify (increase in size, volume or significance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Making to seem more important than it really is

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

exaggeration; magnification; overstatement

Hypernyms ("magnification" is a kind of...):

deceit; deception; misrepresentation (a misleading falsehood)

Derivation:

magnify (increase in size, volume or significance)

magnify (to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A photographic print that has been enlarged

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

blowup; enlargement; magnification

Hypernyms ("magnification" is a kind of...):

exposure; photo; photograph; pic; picture (a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide or in digital format)

Derivation:

magnify (make large)

magnify (increase in size, volume or significance)

 Context examples 

The area visible under the maximum magnification power of the objective being used in microscopy.

(High Power Field, NCI Thesaurus)

The area visible in one view field of the microscope under the low magnification of the objective being used in microscopy.

(Low Power Field, NCI Thesaurus)

A unit of measure equal to the instances of an entity per visual field of a microscope set to its maximum magnification power.

(Per High Powered Field, NCI Thesaurus)

A unit of measure equal to the instances of an entity per visual field of a microscope set to its minimum magnification power.

(Per Low Powered Field, NCI Thesaurus)

For much of that time, it was big enough to be visible from the ground without magnification and is currently large enough that almost five Earths could fit inside.

(Solar Dynamics Observatory Captures Images of a Mid-Level Solar Flare, NASA)

Inspection of objects or surfaces requiring magnification using a scanning probe microscope.

(Device Scanning Probe Microscopy Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

Inspection of objects or surfaces requiring magnification using an optical microscope.

(Device Optical Microscopy Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

Inspection of objects or surfaces requiring magnification using a microscope e.g. with electron, optical, or scanning probe microscopy.

(Device Microscopic Inspection Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

The particular character of the light magnification can reveal clues to the nature of the foreground star and any associated planets.

(Hubble Finds Planet Orbiting Pair of Stars, NASA)

The application of microscope magnification to the study of materials that cannot be properly seen by the unaided eye.

(Microscopy, NCI Thesaurus)