amplification

amplification — noun

1. the use of electronic equipment such as microphones, speakers, or guitar amps to

1.nounC1
Definition

the use of electronic equipment such as microphones, speakers, or guitar amps to make a sound, voice, or musical signal carry further and reach a larger audience.

Example

The small jazz club used gentle amplification so the singer could be heard at the back tables.

amplification of voice in a venue

Sami borrowed his cousin's guitar amp because his acoustic set needed extra amplification outdoors.

amplification for outdoor music

Common collocations
  • sound amplification
  • electronic amplification
  • voice amplification
  • amplification system
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • muting

    reducing sound to silence

  • attenuation

    technical term for reducing signal strength

Grammar Patterns

amplification of [sound/signal]

Usage Note

Subject is usually equipment, technology, or a sound system; common in music, broadcasting, and hearing-aid contexts. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is always about physical sound or electrical signals, never ideas.

Common Mistakes

The microphone has a strong amplification.
The microphone provides strong amplification.
amplification is something equipment provides, not a property it 'has'.

2. the act of saying more about a story, claim, or idea so that other people unders

2.nounC1
Definition

the act of saying more about a story, claim, or idea so that other people understand the full picture, including extra examples, reasons, or supporting details.

Example

The minister promised an amplification of her brief comment at the press conference next morning.

amplification of [a statement]

Professor Kim asked Olu for an amplification of her thesis after she gave a one-line summary.

amplification of [an idea]

Common collocations
  • amplification of a statement
  • further amplification
  • by way of amplification
Synonyms
  • elaboration

    very close synonym; slightly more common

  • expansion

    broader; about size or scope, not only details

Antonyms
  • summary

    the opposite act: shortening rather than expanding

  • abridgement

    formal; cutting content down

Grammar Patterns

amplification of [statement/idea]

Usage Note

Often appears in formal contexts such as politics, law, or academic writing. Frequently follows a brief or controversial statement. Distinguish from sense 1: never about sound — only about extending ideas, claims, or stories with more detail.

Common Mistakes

He gave a long amplification about his weekend.
He gave a long account of his weekend.
amplification implies adding detail to an existing brief statement, not casual storytelling.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe saying more about something, but they differ in purpose and register. 'Elaboration' is the most everyday choice and simply means adding more detail to a point already made. 'Amplification' is more formal and often appears in legal, political, or academic writing, where a brief or guarded statement needs fuller treatment. 'Expansion' suggests making something larger in scope, not only adding detail — you can expand a business as well as an argument. 'Clarification' has a different motive: removing confusion rather than adding richness. For example, a politician might offer 'clarification' after a misquote, but 'amplification' when willingly fleshing out a thin remark with examples and reasons.

amplification ↗elaborationexpansion ↗clarification ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sound amplification
  • voice amplification
  • signal amplification
  • amplification system

Adverbs

Phrases

  • require amplification
  • need amplification
  • provide amplification

Prepositions

  • amplification of
  • by way of amplification
  • without amplification

Etymology

LatinMiddle FrenchEnglish

The word entered English in the late 1500s from Latin 'amplificatio', a noun built from 'amplificare' meaning to enlarge or extend, which itself joins 'amplus' (large, spacious) with '-ficare' (to make). Originally it was a rhetorical term used by writers and preachers for expanding a topic with extra detail or emphasis. The audio meaning is much more recent, growing out of late-19th and early-20th century work on electrical signals and the invention of the vacuum tube and the loudspeaker.