amplification

American  

[am-pluh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌæm plə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of amplifying or the state of being amplified.

2. expansion of a statement, narrative, etc., as for rhetorical purposes.

   In the revision, the story underwent considerable amplification.

3. a statement, narrative, etc., so expanded.

   The text of the second edition was an amplification.

4. the matter or substance used to expand an idea, statement, or the like.

   He added an extra paragraph to his speech as an amplification.

5. Electricity. increase in the strength of current, voltage, or power.

6. Genetics. gene amplification.

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amplification British  

/ ˌæmplɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or result of amplifying

2. material added to a statement, story, etc, in order to expand or clarify it

3. a statement, story, etc, with such additional material

4. electronics

   1. the increase in strength of an electrical signal by means of an amplifier

   2. another word for gain 1

5. Also called: gene amplification.  genetics the production of multiple copies of a particular gene or DNA sequence. It can occur naturally or artificially, by genetic engineering techniques

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amplification Scientific  

/ ăm′plə-fĭ-kā′shən /

1. An increase in the magnitude or strength of an electric current, a force, or another physical quantity, such as a radio signal.

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Etymology

Origin of amplification

First recorded in 1540–50, amplification is from the Latin word amplificātiōn- (stem of amplificātiō ). See ample, -i-, -fication

Example Sentences

Lyrics drown in the murk of excessive amplification.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Utah-based chain Swig — with some amplification from social media —helped make dirty soda a hit, as a story from Eater noted last year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

"Iran has crafted a wartime propaganda strategy tailored for the age of AI slop and algorithmic amplification," Joseph Bodnar, a senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

If Charlottesville taught journalists to be wary of amplifying ideology, the current moment demands an understanding that, in an attention economy, amplification itself is the ideology.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

“That” needed no amplification; it was a subject that the two friends had discussed completely, and upon which they agreed.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

• elaboration