amplitude

American  

[am-pli-tood, -tyood] / ˈæm plɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

noun

1. the state or quality of being ample, especially as to breadth or width; largeness; greatness of extent.

2. large or full measure; abundance; copiousness.

3. mental range, scope, or capacity.

4. Physics. the absolute value of the maximum displacement from a zero value during one period of an oscillation.

5. Electricity. the maximum deviation of an alternating current from its average value.

6. Astronomy. the arc of the horizon measured from the east or west point to the point where a vertical circle through a heavenly body would intersect the horizon.

7. Mathematics. argument.

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amplitude British  

/ ˈæmplɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. greatness of extent; magnitude

2. abundance or copiousness

3. breadth or scope, as of the mind

4. astronomy the angular distance along the horizon measured from true east or west to the point of intersection of the vertical circle passing through a celestial body

5. Also called: argument.  maths (of a complex number) the angle that the vector representing the complex number makes with the positive real axis. If the point ( x, y ) has polar coordinates ( r, θ ), the amplitude of x + i y is θ , that is, arctan y/x Compare modulus See also Argand diagram

6. physics the maximum variation from the zero or mean value of a periodically varying quantity

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amplitude Scientific  

/ ăm′plĭ-to̅o̅d′ /

1. Physics One half the full extent of a vibration, oscillation, or wave. The amplitude of an ocean wave is the maximum height of the wave crest above the level of calm water, or the maximum depth of the wave trough below the level of calm water. The amplitude of a pendulum swinging through an angle of 90° is 45°.

2. Physics Compare frequency

3. Electronics The amount by which a voltage or current changes from zero or an average value.

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amplitude Cultural  

1. In physics, the height of a crest (or the depth of a trough) of a wave.

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Etymology

Origin of amplitude

From the Latin word amplitūdō, dating back to 1540–50. See ample, -i-, -tude

Example Sentences

Olympic halfpipes are 6.7m high, with Atkin achieving an amplitude of more than 5m during her final.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

She won hearts with her big amplitude off the halfpipe and funny pre-run tweets.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

They are judged on the amplitude - the height they reach - as well as the difficulty of the tricks and how well they have executed them.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

These patterns contain both amplitude and phase information that can later be recovered using computational techniques.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026

The amplitude of a sound is a particular number, usually measured in decibels, but dynamics are relative; an orchestra playing fortissimo sounds much louder than a single violin playing fortissimo.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones