augmentation

From Middle English augmentation, augmentacion, augmentacioun, from Old French augmentacion, from Latin augmentātiō, verbal noun from augmentō (“increase”, verb).

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• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

augmentation (countable and uncountable, plural augmentations)

1. The act or process of augmenting.
2. An addition or extra, something that is added to something else.
   • 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 23:

     A small tablet is fixt near the Altar, upon w^ch the friends of y^e defunct lay their offerings in mony according to their own ability and the quality of the person deceased. This custom proves a very happy augmentation to some of the very poor vicars, and is often the best part of their maintenance.

3. (heraldry) A particular mark of honour, granted by the sovereign in consideration of some noble action, or by favour; and either quartered with the family arms, or on an escutcheon or canton.
4. (medicine) A surgical procedure to enlarge a body part, as breast augmentation.
5. (medicine) The stage of a disease during which symptoms increase or continue.
6. (music) A compositional technique where the composer lengthens the melody by lengthening its note values.
7. (Scots law) An increase of stipend obtained by a parish minister by an action raised in the Court of Teinds against the titular and heritors.

• augmentative
• augmented
• auxiliary
• diminution

• The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at

• Mountain Gate

Borrowed from Late Latin augmentātiōnem.

• IPA^(key): /oɡ.mɑ̃.ta.sjɔ̃/

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augmentation f (plural augmentations)

1. an increase, a raise

   Synonym: hausse

   Antonyms: diminution, baisse

2. a pay raise

• augmenter

• “augmentation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.