amplify
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Etymology tree
Inherited from Middle English amplifiyen, borrowed from Old French amplifier, borrowed from Latin amplificāre, from amplus (“abundant, ample”) + -ficō. By surface analysis, ample + -ify.
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/
- (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/, [ˈɛəm.plə.faɪ], /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/, (/æ/ raising) [ˈɛəm.plə.faɪ]
- (Australia) IPA(key): /ˈæm.plə.fɑe/, (/æ/ raising) [ˈeːm.plə.fɑe̯]
- (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈɛm.plə.faɪ/, [ˈɛm.plə.fɑe̯]
- Hyphenation: am‧pli‧fy
Verb
[edit]amplify (third-person singular simple present amplifies, present participle amplifying, simple past and past participle amplified)
- (transitive) To render larger, more extended, or more intense.
- amplify the loudspeaker
- amplify a telescope
- amplify a microscope
- amplify the message
- amplify an image on the screen
- amplify the impact of the project
- 1561, Richard Eden, “To the Ryght Worshypfull Syr Wyllyam Garrerd Knyght, and Master Thomas Lodge, Aldermen of the Citie of London, and Gouernours of the Honorable Felowshyp or Societie, aswell of Certaine of the Nobilitie, as of Marchauntes Aduenturers, for the Discouery of Landes, Territories, Ilandes, and Seignories Vnknowen, and Not before Their First Aduenture or Enterprise by Seas or Nauigations Commonly Frequented: And to the Right Worshypfull the Consulles, Assistentes, and Comminaltie of the Same Societie, Richarde Eden Wyssheth Health and Prosperitie”, in Martin Cortes [i.e., Martín Cortés de Albacar], translated by Richard Eden, The Arte of Nauigation: Conteynyng a Compendious Description of the Sphere, with the Makyng of Certen Instrumentes and Rules for Nauigations: and Exemplified by Manye Demonstrations. […], London: […] Richard Jugge, […], →OCLC, signature [¶ iii], recto:
- [T]he fauour of Princes and Magiſtrates noryſheth, augmenteth, and amplyfyeth all artes and ſciences by liberalitie, and extynguyſheth the ſame by miſerable couetouſnes and parcimonie.
- (transitive, rhetorical) To enlarge by addition or commenting; to treat copiously by adding particulars, illustrations, etc.; to expand.
- 1700, John Dryden, Fables, Ancient and Modern:
- Troilus and Cressida was written by a Lombard author, but much amplified by our English translator.
- 1981 August 8, Nancy Wechsler, “Michigan May Register 'Sex Offenders'”, in Gay Community News, page 3:
- GCN asked Gill just who this law was aimed at. "Child abusers" he responded. He would not amplify on what he meant by child abusers.
- 2024 August 19, Christina Harward, Nicole Wolkov, Grace Mappes, Davit Gasparyan, Karolina Hird, George Barros, “Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 19, 2024”, in Ukraine Project, The Institute for the Study of War:
- Russian state media focused on Putin's trip to Azerbaijan, amplifying minute details, likely in part to divert attention from the uncomfortable situation in Russia by saturating the information space with a showcase of the Kremlin's global diplomatic engagement and alleged successes.
- (transitive) To increase the amplitude of something, especially of an electric current.
- amplify a signal. It's amplified so you can hear the audio.
- (translation studies) To add content that is not present in the source text to the target text, usually to improve the fluency of the translation.
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]render larger etc.
|
enlarge rhetorically
|
increase amplitude
|
translation studies: add content
Further reading
[edit]- “amplify”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “amplify”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
Categories:
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ent-
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₃emh₃-
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰeh₁-
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pleh₁-
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂m̥bʰí
- English terms derived from Proto-Italic
- English terms suffixed with -ify
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with collocations
- English terms with quotations
- en:Translation studies
