magnification

noun

mag·​ni·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of magnifying

2

a

: the state of being magnified

b

: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument

called also power

Synonyms

• caricature
• coloring
• elaboration
• embellishment
• embroidering
• embroidery
• exaggeration
• hyperbole
• overstatement
• padding
• stretching

Examples of magnification in a Sentence

We used a microscope to examine the cells under magnification.

At higher magnifications the differences between the cells become clear.

Recent Examples on the Web

For looking at the night sky, choose at least 10x42, preferably 10x50, which keeps the magnification low enough to easily navigate the night sky while allowing enough light in at night. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025

The strong gravitational magnification enabled astronomers to detect faint background sources and study their internal structures, which can lead to identifying individual stars in distant galaxies, according to the paper. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2025

As high a magnification as possible may seem logical for looking at tiny objects in the night sky, but beware. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025

Neither of these particularly needs high magnification. —Ewan Spence, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

magnification

noun

mag·​ni·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of magnifying

2

a

: the state of being magnified

b

: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument

called also power

Medical Definition

magnification

noun

mag·​ni·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act of magnifying

2

a

: the state of being magnified

b

: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument that is the ratio of the dimensions of an image formed by the instrument to the corresponding dimensions of the object

called also power