amplifier

American  

[am-pluh-fahy-er] / ˈæm pləˌfaɪ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that amplifies or enlarges.

2. an electronic component or circuit for amplifying power, current, or voltage.

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amplifier British  

/ ˈæmplɪˌfaɪə /

noun

1. an electronic device used to increase the strength of the signal fed into it

2. such a device used for the amplification of audio frequency signals in a radio, etc

3. photog an additional lens for altering the focal length of a camera lens

4. a person or thing that amplifies

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amplifier Cultural  

1. In electronics, a device that takes a small electric signal and converts it into a large one. Amplifiers are used in stereo systems, electric guitars, and loudspeakers.

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Etymology

Origin of amplifier

First recorded in 1540–50; amplify + -er ¹

Compare meaning

How does amplifier compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• preamplifier vs. amplifier

Example Sentences

In principle, such a plasma can act as an energy amplifier, producing far more energy than it takes to create and sustain it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

He learned to beatmatch by plugging a player into each side of his amplifier and using the balance knob to fade between them.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Rather than relying on one long crystal or stacking many short ones, they run the light repeatedly through a single short crystal inside an optical parametric amplifier.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2025

Because pain itself is generated in the brain, not the body’s tissues, it can be wildly out of proportion to any physical damage, an amplifier that transforms a whisper into a distorted shriek.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

We are right by an amplifier, so she has to yell.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King