aggrandizement

American  

[uh-gran-diz-muhnt] / əˈgræn dɪz mənt /

especially British, aggrandisement

noun

1. an act or instance of aggrandizing, or increasing in size, or intensity.

   aggrandizement of mercantile trade in the early colonies.

2. the act of making something appear greater than is actually warranted by the facts.

   Some saw it as ego aggrandizement.

3. expansion of power, wealth, rank, or honor.

   The department was used for the aggrandizement of its leaders.

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Usage

What does aggrandizement mean? Aggrandizement refers to the act of making something larger or greater. It specifically refers to inflating something or making someone appear more important or powerful than they really are. This word is often seen in self-aggrandizement, or “the act of making oneself more important, powerful, or wealthy.” Aggrandizement is spelled with an S, aggrandisement, in British English. Example: Concerned about the unintended aggrandizement of her accomplishments, the philanthropist did not conduct interviews about her work.

Etymology

Origin of aggrandizement

1655–1665; aggrandize ( def. ) + -ment, influenced by French agrandissement, aggrandissement

Explanation

Aggrandizement is the act of enlarging or expanding something's power or status. It's hard sometimes to tell if politicians run for office in order to help their communities, or just for their own aggrandizement. Aggrandizement is the noun form of the verb aggrandize, "to increase the power or reputation of something," and it usually implies that there's some exaggeration going on. If your friend spread the story of how you had saved a drowning child at the beach, when actually you'd only yelled for the lifeguard, and if you didn't correct him or set the story straight, you'd be participating in the aggrandizement of your reputation.

Example Sentences

Sen. Patty Murray is the kind of politician who can be trusted to use her seniority for productive work, not personal aggrandizement or self-promotion.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2022

Expecting an exaltation of victors and an aggrandizement of the host country’s preparations and successes, the committee requested that Ichikawa cut the film to the essential elements.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2021

Its Security Council was authorized to deploy military force when necessary, but its very reason to be was to prevent war from being used as a tool of political aggrandizement.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

What about a disturbing aggrandizement of “masculine” behavior?

From The New Yorker • Oct. 1, 2018

Others he cultivated for their genuine capabilities on the screen, and for the sense of aggrandizement that he derived from associating with them.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown