| Share    Pronunciation: (mag'ni-tOOd", -tyOOd"), [key] 1.
size; extent; dimensions: to determine the magnitude of an
angle. 2. great importance or consequence: affairs of magnitude.
3. greatness of size or amount. 4. moral greatness: magnitude of
mind. 5. Astron. a. Also called visual magnitude, apparent
magnitude. the brightness of a star or other celestial body as
viewed by the unaided eye and expressed by a mathematical ratio
of 2.512: a star of the first magnitude is approximately 2½
times as bright as one of the second magnitude and 100 times
brighter than one of the sixth magnitude. Only stars of the
sixth magnitude or brighter can be seen with the unaided eye. b.
See absolute magnitude. 6. Math.a number characteristic of a
quantity and forming a basis for comparison with similar
quantities, as length. 7. of the first magnitude, of utmost or
major importance: an artist of the first magnitude.   See also:
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