Amplitude
/ˈæm.plɪ.tjuːd/noun
The quality or state of being large, extensive, or wide; in physics, the maximum displacement of a wave from its resting position.
Did you know?Amplitude ultimately comes from Latin *amplitūdō*, a word for breadth, spaciousness, and greatness, so its modern physics meaning still carries the ancient idea of a thing’s full reach.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleh₁-
“to fill, make full”
Latin
Latin
amplus
“large, spacious, abundant, distinguished”
Latin
Latin
amplitūdō
“greatness, largeness, spaciousness”
Late Latin
Latin
amplitūdō
“extent, magnitude”
14th Century
English
amplitude
“greatness, fullness, extent”
Modern English
English
amplitude
“the extent or magnitude of something, especially a wave's maximum displacement”