Enlargement

How to spell enlargement

11 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce enlargement

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does enlargement mean?

1. nounThe act of making something bigger, or the increased size or version that results.

Enlargement in a sentence

• The enlargement of the kitchen added valuable space to the house.

• She ordered an enlargement of the wedding photograph to hang above the stairs.

Where does enlargement come from?

Language of origin: French

This word builds on the verb 'enlarge', which English took from the Old French 'enlargir', meaning 'to make wider' or 'to set free'. That French verb was formed from 'en-', a prefix meaning 'to make' or 'to cause to be', joined to 'large', which came from the Latin 'largus', meaning 'abundant', 'ample', or 'generous'. English adopted the verb in the 1300s and later attached the noun-forming suffix '-ment', which itself descends from the Latin '-mentum' that marks the result or means of an action. So the literal sense is 'the act or result of making something larger'. The same Latin 'largus' lies behind the everyday word 'large' itself, and noticing that simple core inside the longer word is the easiest way to keep the spelling on track.

How the word is built

• en- (make, cause to be)
• large (broad, ample)
• -ment (noun of action or result)