intensity

[ in-ten-si-tee ]

noun

, plural in·ten·si·ties.

1. the quality or condition of being intense.
2. great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling:

   He went at the job with great intensity.

3. a high or extreme degree, as of cold or heat.
4. the degree or extent to which something is intense.
5. a high degree of emotional excitement; depth of feeling:

   The poem lacked intensity and left me unmoved.

   Synonyms: vigor, energy, emotion, passion

6. the strength or sharpness of a color due especially to its degree of freedom from admixture with its complementary color.
7. Physics. magnitude, as of energy or a force per unit of area, volume, time, etc.
8. Speech.
   1. the correlate of physical energy and the degree of loudness of a speech sound.
   2. the relative carrying power of vocal utterance.

intensity

/ ɪnˈtɛnsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being intense
2. extreme force, degree, or amount
3. physics
   1. a measure of field strength or of the energy transmitted by radiation See radiant intensity luminous intensity
   2. (of sound in a specified direction) the average rate of flow of sound energy, usually in watts, for one period through unit area at right angles to the specified direction I
4. Also calledearthquake intensity geology a measure of the size of an earthquake based on observation of the effects of the shock at the earth's surface. Specified on the Mercalli scale See Mercalli scale Richter scale

Other Words From

• over·in·tensi·ty noun
• super·in·tensi·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of intensity¹

First recorded in 1655–65; intense + -ity

Example Sentences

Through the course of their research, the team learned that the arrangement and intensity of the lighting is critical.

From Los Angeles Times

But it has now been reappraised, with the ratings body ruling that "the detail and overall intensity" of violence in the film mean it should be a PG, which stands for parental guidance.

From BBC

The Australian study, published in the journal Current Biology, involved testing three different intensities of LED lights.

From BBC

David Rooney was less favourable about Mescal's performance and called it "a tad flat at times" with his emotional range "sticking mostly to the same notes of brooding intensity and simmering rage".

From BBC

Players have played with and against each other, so that raises the level of intensity for the upcoming matchups.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anxiety
• concentration
• depth
• earnestness
• emotion
• energy
• excitement
• ferocity
• fervor
• fury
• magnitude
• power
• severity
• strength
• tension
• vigor