augmentation

[awg-men-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of augmenting; state of being augmented.

2. that by which anything is augmented.

3. Music.,  modification of a theme by increasing the time value of all its notes.

4. Heraldry.,  an addition to a coat of arms granted to a person by a sovereign power in recognition of a notable action.

augmentation

/ ˌɔːɡmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of augmenting or the state of being augmented

2. the amount by which something is increased

3. music the presentation of a subject of a fugue, in which the note values are uniformly increased Compare diminution

Word History and Origins

Origin of augmentation¹

1425–75; late Middle English (< Anglo-French ) < Late Latin augmentātiōn- (stem of augmentātiō ). See augment, -ation; replacing late Middle English aumentacion < Middle French

Example Sentences

This is a well-documented risk for those who take the medication over a prolonged period, and is known as augmentation.

From BBC

Kardashian’s youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, also recently got candid on social media about her plastic surgery, revealing to a TikTok user the details of her breast augmentation.

From Los Angeles Times

And the augmentation pump, that kind of life support system that they are on, is working already and there was even a sort of heart monitor device floating in the water.

From Salon

Newton referred residents to Hagerty’s website and spoke of how his firm provides “augmentation support,” prompting residents to interrupt and criticize his use of jargon.

From Los Angeles Times

The augmentation of that constitutional baseline by statute is not congressional overreach—rather, it is implementation and enforcement of that baseline.

From Salon

Related Words

• enhancement 
• enlargement 

When To Use

What does augmentation mean?

Augmentation is the act or process of augmenting something—adding to it in a way that makes it bigger or better.This can involve literally or figuratively increasing it in size, number, shape, value, or quality or in some other way.The augmentation of a material involves the addition of another material or substance to make it stronger. The augmentation of a museum collection involves the addition of new artifacts.The word can also refer to a thing that augments—an additional source of income is an augmentation to one’s salary.Augment and augmentation are also used in a much more specific way in the context of music, but their general senses are much more commonly used.Example: The augmentation of our emergency stockpile should be our top priority.