a. [ From Magnify. ] Such as can be magnified, or extolled. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. magnificus; magnus great + facere to make: cf. F. magnifique. See Magnitude, Fact. and cf. Magnificent. ] Grand; splendid; illustrious; magnificent. [ Obs. ] 1 Chron. xxii. 5. “Thy magnific deeds.” Milton. -- Mag*nif"ic*al*ly, adv. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

‖n. [ L., it magnifies. ] The song of the Virgin Mary, Luke i. 46; -- so called because it commences with this word in the Vulgate. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. magnificatus, p. p. of magnificare. ] To magnify or extol. [ Obs. ] Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of magnifying; enlargement; exaggeration. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. magnificence, L. magnificentia. See Magnific. ] The act of doing what is magnificent; the state or quality of being magnificent. Acts xix. 27. “Then cometh magnificence.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

And, for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak
The Maker's high magnificence, who built
so spacious. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The noblest monuments of Roman magnificence. Eustace. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Magnificence. ] 1. Doing grand things; admirable in action; displaying great power or opulence, especially in building, way of living, and munificence. [ 1913 Webster ]

A prince is never so magnificent
As when he's sparing to enrich a few
With the injuries of many. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Grand in appearance; exhibiting grandeur or splendor; splendid; pompous. [ 1913 Webster ]

When Rome's exalted beauties I descry
Magnificent in piles of ruin lie. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Glorious; majestic; sublime. See Grand. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a Magnificent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Magnificoes [ It. See Magnific. ] 1. A grandee or nobleman of Venice; -- so called in courtesy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A rector of a German university. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. enlarged to an abnormal degree.
Syn. -- exaggerated, enlarged. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who, or that which, magnifies. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Magnified p. pr. & vb. n. Magnifying ] [ OE. magnifien, F. magnifier, L. magnificare. See Magnific. ] 1. To make great, or greater; to increase the dimensions of; to amplify; to enlarge, either in fact or in appearance; as, the microscope magnifies the object by a thousand diameters. [ 1913 Webster ]

The least error in a small quantity . . . will in a great one . . . be proportionately magnified. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To increase the importance of; to augment the esteem or respect in which one is held. [ 1913 Webster ]

On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel. Joshua iv. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To praise highly; to laud; to extol. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

O, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. Ps. xxxiv. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To exaggerate; as, to magnify a loss or a difficulty. [ 1913 Webster ]

To magnify one's self (Script.), to exhibit pride and haughtiness; to boast. --
To magnify one's self against (Script.), to oppose with pride. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they really are; to increase the apparent dimensions of objects; as, some lenses magnify but little. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To have effect; to be of importance or significance. [ Cant & Obs. ] Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A single convex lens which magnifies the apparent dimensions of objects seen through it, and is used to produce an enlarged image.
Syn. -- hand glass. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. magniloquentia. ] The quality of being magniloquent; pompous discourse; grandiloquence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. magnus great + loquens, -entis, p. pr. of loqui to speak. See Magnitude, Loquacious. ] Speaking pompously; using swelling discourse; bombastic; tumid in style; grandiloquent. -- Mag*nil"o*quent*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. [ L. magniloquus. ] Magniloquent. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. magnitudo, from magnus great. See Master, and cf. Maxim. ] 1. Extent of dimensions; size; -- applied to things that have length, breadth, and thickness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conceive those particles of bodies to be so disposed amongst themselves, that the intervals of empty spaces between them may be equal in magnitude to them all. Sir I. Newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geom.) That which has one or more of the three dimensions, length, breadth, and thickness. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything of which greater or less can be predicated, as time, weight, force, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Greatness; grandeur. “With plain, heroic magnitude of mind.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Greatness, in reference to influence or effect; importance; as, an affair of magnitude. [ 1913 Webster ]

The magnitude of his designs. Bp. Horsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Astron.) See magnitude of a star, below. [ PJC ]

Apparent magnitude 1. (Opt.), the angular breadth of an object viewed as measured by the angle which it subtends at the eye of the observer; -- called also apparent diameter. 2. (Astron.) Same as magnitude of a star, below. --
Magnitude of a star (Astron.), the rank of a star with respect to brightness. About twenty very bright stars are said to be of first magnitude, the stars of the sixth magnitude being just visible to the naked eye; called also visual magnitude, apparent magnitude, and simply magnitude. Stars observable only in the telescope are classified down to below the twelfth magnitude. The difference in actual brightness between magnitudes is now specified as a factor of 2.512, i.e. the difference in brightness is 100 for stars differing by five magnitudes. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. To magnify too much. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]