source: By Zureks - Own work, Public Domain

1. the great size or extent of something: 何かの巨大な数、範囲

大きいこと

e.g. they may feel discouraged at the magnitude of the task before them.: 彼らは自分たちの面前の仕事の大きさに落胆を感じるかもしれない。

great importance: 大きな重要性

(リスク･問題などの)大きさ, 規模; 重大性

e.g. events of tragic magnitude.: 悲劇的な規模の出来事

2. size: 大きさ

e.g. electorates of less than average magnitude.: 平均的な大きさよりも少ない有権者

a numerical quantity or value: 数的な大きさ、値

e.g. the magnitudes of all the economic variables could be determined.: 経済的な変数の大きさは決定することができた。

3. the degree of brightness of a star. The magnitude of an astronomical object is now reckoned as the negative logarithm of the brightness; a decrease of one magnitude represents an increase in brightness of 2.512 times. A star with an apparent magnitude of six is barely visible to the naked eye. See also apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude.

the class into which a star falls by virtue of its brightness.

a difference of one on a scale of brightness, treated as a unit of measurement.

see first.

late Middle English (also in the sense ‘greatness of character’): from Latin magnitudo, from magnus ‘great’.