change of magnitude

1 5.1

A time when something becomes different in size or amount

noun

: cambio de magnitud

Climate scientists study the change of magnitude in global temperatures over the past century.

Examples

The sudden change of magnitude in the river's flow surprised local engineers.
Any change of magnitude in the company's profits will be reported to shareholders.
The change of magnitude in the data was significant.
There were several changes of magnitude during the experiment.
The sudden change of magnitude in the river's flow surprised local engineers.
Climate scientists study the change of magnitude in global temperatures over the past century.
Any change of magnitude in the company's profits will be reported to shareholders.

Synonyms

scaling

vschange of magnitude

3 4.6

Arranging things by size, amount, or importance

is an increase or decrease in size or amount rather than a deliberate method

Antonyms

stability

283 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

How Much

collapse

323 4.1

surge

180 4.2

change of magnitude

1 5.1

increase

559 1.0

decrease

82 2.2

Surface Forms

change of magnitude singular

changes of magnitude plural

Morphology

change + of + magnitude

The meaning is directly compositional: 'change' (becoming different) combined with 'magnitude' (size or extent) yields 'a change in size or amount,' matching the provided definition. The 'change of N' pattern is a common, literal noun phrase construction cross-linguistically, so learners who know the constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Change of magnitude comes from the image of a measuring scale or meter: when the pointer moves it shows a change in magnitude (the 'size' or 'amount') of something. So the phrase means that something has clearly grown or become smaller in size or amount.