immensity
Americannoun
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vastness; enormous extent.
the immensity of the Roman empire.
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the state or condition of being immense.
noun
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the state or quality of being immense; vastness; enormity
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enormous expanse, distance, or volume
the immensity of space
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informal a huge amount
an immensity of wealth
Etymology
Origin of immensity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word immēnsitās. See immense, -ity
Explanation
Immensity is hugeness. When something is so large or numerous you can hardly believe it, it has the quality of immensity.. Something enormous is immense, and the quality of being immense is immensity. This is a strong word for truly gigantic things and creatures. You might, for example, comment on the immensity of the Grand Canyon, or the immensity of the night sky as seen from a boat on the sea. The noun immensity comes from the Latin word immensitatem, "immeasurableness." In other words, if it's too big to be measured, it has the quality of immensity.
Vocabulary lists containing immensity
"Your World," Vocabulary from the poem
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The Distance Between Us
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Selected Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s not merely trendy psychologizing to salute the qualities of a sturdy tree: a humbling reminder of time’s immensity, but also a living embodiment of shelter, change and growth.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
It’s presented a quiet challenge among the parents in the immensity of this moment: How do you talk to a second grader about what’s unfolding around them?
From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026
The CX-90 steps away from the brink of immensity, which I think is a good thing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
"The immensity of this situation cannot be overstated," he said.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025
Most of Chicago felt the same way that Claire did — exhausted, stunned by the immensity of the damage, lost and alone.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
