aggrandizement

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /əˈɡrændɪzmənt/ UK /əˈɡrandɪzmənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the increase of one's power, wealth, or reputation

The war was waged purely for the king's self-aggrandizement.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the increase of one's... exaltation elevation enhancement magnification glorification augmentation

Opposites

belittlementdiminution disparagement humbling

Word family

Related forms aggrandize grand grandeur

Etymology

From aggrandize + -ment, after French agrandissement, from agrandir ('to make larger'), from a- (Latin ad, 'to') + grandir, from Latin grandis ('great, large').

agrandir French grandis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# aggrandizement

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈɡrændɪzmənt/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈɡrandɪzmənt/

## Meanings
1. the increase of one's power, wealth, or reputation

## Examples
- The war was waged purely for the king's self-aggrandizement.

## Synonyms
- exaltation
- elevation
- enhancement
- magnification
- glorification
- augmentation

## Antonyms
- belittlement
- diminution
- disparagement
- humbling

## Related Forms
- aggrandize
- grand
- grandeur

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: agrandir
- Root: grandis

## Etymology
From aggrandize + -ment, after French agrandissement, from agrandir ('to make larger'), from a- (Latin ad, 'to') + grandir, from Latin grandis ('great, large').

## AI Etymology
aggrandizement comes from aggrandize + -ment, after French agrandissement, from agrandir ('to make larger'), from a- (Latin ad, 'to') + grandir, from Latin grandis ('great, large'). Morphologically, the word is transparent: -ment is attached to the older base named in the history, so the modern form packages an inherited or borrowed stem inside a later English derivative. In modern use, the noun sense is "the increase of one's power, wealth, or reputation", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as aggrandize, grand, grandeur, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include French agrandir, Latin grandis, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown