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

My group is starting to study how this amplification works: who shares which narratives and why, which kinds of people become bridges across different online platforms, and how those roles shape which messages spread.

From Salon • May 8, 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

With the program and song texts only available to download on the cellphone, the audience was left in the dark without texts and, with amplification obscuring diction, not knowing what’s what.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2026

By the time an extreme amplification peaks out. an eyedropper of the victim’s blood may contain a hundred million particles of virus.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Related Words

• elaboration