## Meanings
1. To make something look bigger using a lens, microscope, or telescope.
2. To make something seem larger, greater, or more important than it really is.
3. To increase something in size, strength, or significance.

## Examples
- The microscope can magnify the cells hundreds of times so we can study them.
- The newspapers magnified the small incident into a national scandal.
- The shortage of supplies only magnified the importance of careful planning.

## Derived Forms
- biomagnify
- demagnify
- magnifiable
- magnification
- magnifier
- overmagnify
- remagnify
- unmagnify

## Related Forms
- minify

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: magnifien
- Root: magnifier
- Root: magnificō

## Etymology
From Middle English magnifien, from Middle French magnifier, from Latin magnificāre, from magnificus.

## AI Etymology
Magnify comes from Middle English magnifien, from Middle French magnifier, from Latin magnificāre, from magnificus. In present-day English its meanings include to make something look bigger using a lens, microscope, or telescope, to make something seem larger, greater, or more important than it really is, and to increase something in size, strength, or significance. The historical chain runs through magnifien (Middle English), magnifier (Middle French), and magnificō (Latin). Related and derived forms include minify, biomagnify, demagnify, and magnifiable.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Actions & Processes

markdown

magnify

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback