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Glite Dictionary
amplitude distortion

amplitude distortion

7.1
When an electronic device makes part of a signal louder or quieter than it should
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : distorsión de amplitud
  • If the amplifier introduces amplitude distortion, the sound quality will be noticeably affected.

Examples

  • Professional audio equipment is designed to minimize amplitude distortion for clearer output.

  • The engineer measured the system to ensure amplitude distortion was within acceptable limits.

  • The audio system suffered from amplitude distortion during playback.

  • Have you noticed any amplitude distortions in the recording?

  • When designing sound systems, engineers aim to prevent amplitude distortion to maintain audio fidelity.

  • Before finalizing the installation, the technician checked for any signs of amplitude distortion in the signal output.

  • Listeners often notice amplitude distortion when a speaker is unable to accurately reproduce loud sounds.

Synonyms

distortion
vsamplitude distortion
  • Specialized
53 6.7

A change in a sound or electrical signal that makes the sound wrong

focuses on outputs that do not scale with inputs rather than any waveform change
nonlinear distortion
vsamplitude distortion
  • Specialized
8.1

An unwanted change in a signal when the output does not follow the input, often adding extra tones

is the same but limited to electronic systems rather than any system

How Distorted

clipping
  • Specialized
3 7.0
amplitude distortion
  • Specialized
7.1
distortion
  • Specialized
53 6.7

Surface Forms

amplitude distortion singular
amplitude distortions plural

Morphology

amplitude + distortion

The meaning is directly compositional: 'amplitude' (wave height) combined with 'distortion' (alteration of waveform) clearly yields a distortion that affects a signal's amplitude. Although it's a technical term, the noun+noun combination follows ordinary English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Amplitude distortion combines amplitude, the signal's height or loudness, and distortion, when a signal is changed from its original shape. Imagine you make the 'input' louder but the 'output' does not get louder in the same way, so the term means 'the output signal does not change in proportion to the input'.