amplitude

IPA/ˈæmplɪtjuːd/
KK[ˈæmplətˌud]IPA/ˈæmplɪtuːd/

amplitude — noun

  • amplitudesingular
  • amplitudesplural

1. in physics, how far a wave, signal, or swinging object moves away from its resti

1.nounC1
Definition

in physics, how far a wave, signal, or swinging object moves away from its resting line at its highest or lowest point — for example, a louder sound or a stronger radio signal has greater amplitude.

Example

The amplitude of the sound wave doubled when Nikolai turned the speaker up.

the amplitude of [wave]

Engineers measured the amplitude of the radio signal at the top of the tower.

measure the amplitude of [signal]

Common collocations
  • large amplitude
  • small amplitude
  • high amplitude
  • low amplitude
  • wave amplitude
  • signal amplitude
  • amplitude modulation
Synonyms
  • magnitude

    broader — refers to overall size; amplitude specifically describes wave displacement

  • peak

    the single highest point; amplitude is the distance from rest to that point

Grammar Patterns

the amplitude of [wave/signal]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a wave, signal, vibration, or swinging object. Often paired with 'frequency' in physics contexts; the two describe different properties of the same wave.

Common Mistakes

The wave has a long amplitude.
The wave has a large/high amplitude.
amplitude is described as large/high or small/low, not long/short.

2. a great deal of something, especially the wide reach or richness of an abstract

2.nounC2
Definition

a great deal of something, especially the wide reach or richness of an abstract quality such as knowledge, vision, or feeling.

Example

Professor Liu writes with an amplitude of vision few historians can match.

amplitude of vision (formal)

The novel impressed critics with its amplitude of feeling and warm humour.

amplitude of feeling

Common collocations
  • amplitude of vision
  • amplitude of feeling
  • amplitude of knowledge
  • amplitude of imagination
Synonyms
  • abundance

    more common; emphasises a large supply, less literary feel

  • breadth

    stresses wide range or scope rather than sheer quantity

  • fullness

    emphasises richness and completeness; close to 'amplitude' but warmer in tone

Antonyms
  • scarcity

    the opposite — a noticeable lack of something

  • narrowness

    opposite when amplitude refers to range or scope

Grammar Patterns

amplitude of [abstract noun]

Usage Note

Distinct from sense 1: this sense is uncountable and abstract, never about waves or measurable physical motion. Mostly limited to literary or academic prose; in everyday speech, 'plenty', 'wealth', or 'breadth' sound more natural.

Common Mistakes

There was amplitude of food at the party.
There was plenty of food at the party.
sense 2 is formal/literary and rarely fits everyday objects like food or drink.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In physics, these four words describe waves and signals but capture different things. Amplitude is the size of a wave's swing away from its rest line — bigger amplitude means a louder sound or a brighter light. Magnitude is a more general word for how big a quantity is; in seismology, an earthquake's magnitude is a single calculated number that already includes amplitude as one ingredient. Intensity describes how much energy a wave delivers per unit area, so it depends on amplitude but is not the same measurement. Frequency is independent of all three — it counts how many wave cycles pass each second. A trumpet note can keep the same frequency while its amplitude (loudness) rises and falls, so the two should not be confused.

amplitude ↗magnitude ↗intensity ↗frequency ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

  • amplitude of

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Borrowed in the 1540s from Latin 'amplitudo', meaning width, large size, or greatness, formed from 'amplus' (large, spacious) plus the noun ending '-tudo'. The original English use was the abstract sense of 'greatness' or 'fullness'. The technical physics meaning — the size of a wave's displacement — developed much later, in the 1660s, as scientists began studying pendulums and sound waves and needed a precise word for that measurement.