augment
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase.
His salary is augmented by a small inheritance.
- Synonyms:
- swell
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Music.
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to raise (the upper note of an interval or chord) by a half step.
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to double the note values of (a theme).
In the fugue's development the subject is augmented.
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Grammar. to add an augment to.
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Heraldry. to grant an augmentation to (a coat of arms).
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to make or become greater in number, amount, strength, etc; increase
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(tr) music to increase (a major or perfect interval) by a semitone Compare diminish
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(tr) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) to prefix a vowel or diphthong to (a verb) to form a past tense
noun
Usage
What does augment mean? To augment something is to add to it in a way that makes it bigger or better.The general sense of augment is used in a variety of contexts where something is literally or figuratively increased in size, number, shape, value, or in some other way.A person might augment their salary with an additional source of income. A material like metal might be augmented to make it stronger. A teacher might augment a course’s textbook with additional learning materials.The noun augmentation refers to the process of augmenting something or the thing that augments. Things that augment or things that are intended to augment can be described as augmentative.A machine or device can be described as augmentable when other parts can be added to it to improve it in some way or give it additional functionality.Augment is also used in much more specific ways in the context of music and grammar, but its general sense is much more commonly used.Example: We recently augmented our nonfiction collection with many new titles by authors from marginalized communities.
Other Word Forms
- augmentable adjective
- augmentor noun
- unaugmentable adjective
- unaugmented adjective
Etymology
Origin of augment
First recorded in 1375–1475; late Middle English au(g)menten, from Anglo-French, Middle French au(g)menter, from Late Latin augmentāre “to increase,” derivative of augmentum “an increase,” from aug(ēre) “to increase” (akin to eke 1 ) + -mentum -ment )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Investors who want to monetize nervous market sentiment and the current demand for hedging can augment the bull spread with a short put on the ETF.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Other studies have found that AI can augment physicians’ skills — when the doctors have learned to trust their AI tools and when they’re used in relatively uncomplicated, even generic, conditions.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
The question becomes: How can market participants use this to augment their work?
From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026
When Dr. Makary announced his National Priority Review program last summer, some in the biotech industry worried that Dr. Prasad would use it to augment his purview and kill innovative small-molecule and cancer drugs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026
Finally, Colonel Meecham began his descent, every step a deliberate one, tortoise-slow, designed to augment the impatience of his giddily avaricious offspring.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
