Augmented

How to spell augmented

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce augmented

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does augmented mean?

1. verbMade larger, greater, or more complete by adding something to it (past tense of augment).
2. adjectiveEnhanced or supplemented, especially by digital or technical means.

Augmented in a sentence

• verb

  The firm augmented its support team to handle the holiday rush.

• adjective

  The museum offers an augmented reality tour through its exhibits.

• verb

  She augmented her monthly income with weekend tutoring.

• adjective

  Engineers tested the augmented navigation system before the launch.

Where does augmented come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb augere, which literally meant 'to increase' or 'to make grow', the same idea that gave Latin its words for growth and abundance. From augere came the noun augmentum, meaning 'an increase' or 'an addition', and a later Latin verb augmentare, 'to make larger'. English picked it up in the late 1300s and 1400s through Old French augmenter, originally in the simple sense of adding to something or making it greater. The same augere root quietly survives in everyday relatives such as 'auction' (where the price keeps rising) and 'author', and even in the month of August, named after the emperor whose title meant 'the exalted, increased one'. For spelling, it helps to remember the silent-feeling g sitting before the m: the word is built on aug-, not 'au-', so the g must stay.

How the word is built

• aug- (from Latin augere: to increase)
• -ment (noun-forming)
• -ed (past tense / adjective suffix)