amplifier

American  

[am-pluh-fahy-er] / ˈæm pləˌfaɪ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that amplifies or enlarges.

2. an electronic component or circuit for amplifying power, current, or voltage.

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amplifier British  

/ ˈæmplɪˌfaɪə /

noun

1. an electronic device used to increase the strength of the signal fed into it

2. such a device used for the amplification of audio frequency signals in a radio, etc

3. photog an additional lens for altering the focal length of a camera lens

4. a person or thing that amplifies

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amplifier Cultural  

1. In electronics, a device that takes a small electric signal and converts it into a large one. Amplifiers are used in stereo systems, electric guitars, and loudspeakers.

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Etymology

Origin of amplifier

First recorded in 1540–50; amplify + -er ¹

Compare meaning

How does amplifier compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• preamplifier vs. amplifier

Explanation

An amplifier is a device that makes an electronic signal stronger, and it's most often used to increase the volume of musical instruments. If you play electric guitar in a rock band, you use an amplifier. In scientific terms, an amplifier can increase (or amplify) any type of signal, including magnetic signals and optical signals. When people talk about amplifiers, they usually mean the ones used by musicians and sound engineers. If you plug your electric bass guitar into an amplifier, you can make the sound loud enough that your next door neighbors will be able to hear it. You can call an amplifier an amp for short.

Example Sentences

They recruit a bass player named Bill Perks, who compensates for his lack of blues knowledge by bringing along an enormous amplifier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The implant also includes a low-noise amplifier and an optical encoder, both built with the same type of semiconductor technology used in everyday microchips.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

A few paces away, Jerry Garcia’s “Budman” amplifier, once part of the Grateful Dead’s three-story high “Wall of Sound,” perched atop a podium.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Because pain itself is generated in the brain, not the body’s tissues, it can be wildly out of proportion to any physical damage, an amplifier that transforms a whisper into a distorted shriek.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

Then they headed down the stairs and to the left of the chamber where that poor old Grisha amplifier had tested him.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo