augment

1 of 2

verb

aug·​ment ȯg-ˈment How to pronounce augment (audio)
augmented; augmenting; augments

transitive verb

1
: to make greater, more numerous, larger, or more intense
The impact of the report was augmented by its timing.
2
: supplement
She took a second job to augment her income.
3
grammar : to add an augment to (a verb form) (see augment entry 2)
augmenter noun
or augmentor

augment

2 of 2

noun

aug·​ment ˈȯg-ˌment How to pronounce augment (audio)
grammar
: a vowel prefixed or a lengthening of the initial vowel to mark past time especially in Greek and Sanskrit verbs
Choose the Right Synonym for augment

increase, enlarge, augment, multiply mean to make or become greater.

increase used intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity

his waistline increased with age

; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarily progressive addition.

increased her landholdings

enlarge implies expansion or extension that makes greater in size or capacity.

enlarged the kitchen

augment implies addition to what is already well grown or well developed.

the inheritance augmented his fortune

multiply implies increase in number by natural generation or by indefinite repetition of a process.

with each attempt the problems multiplied

Examples of augment in a Sentence

Verb … a former member of Brunet's team, Jean-Renaud Boisserie of Berkeley, is in the Middle Awash seeking to augment the animal fossil record—particularly that of hippopotamuses. Rex Dalton, Nature, 5 Jan. 2006
These reserve units will soon be augmented by full-time Maritime Safety and Security Teams. The first of these teams was formed on July 3; a dozen more are supposed to be created within the next three years. David Helvarg, Popular Science, September 2002
The sale of its shares in such companies has helped augment its cash reserves from $1.7 billion to $2 billion. Call it a rainy-day fund—something that other dot-coms never had. But the move also suggests that even Yahoo has lost faith in the once boundless promise of Internet companies. Brad Stone, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2001
The money augmented his fortune. Heavy rains augmented the water supply.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The unions were expected to demand a new streaming residual that would augment the employer contributions into the pension and health plans. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Joyce added that the delay will not prevent the private biomedical institute from hiring new faculty and acquiring new technologies to augment its research. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 Tesla’s proprietary network has a high percentage of Level 3 chargers and is known to be very dependable, augmenting the attractiveness of its outstanding EVs. Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 In strictly physical terms, no article of clothing does more to articulate and augment the line of our bodies — to beautify us or deform us — than pants. Jonah Weiner, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 In Outsourcing In 2024 For a consumer goods company, outsourcing data scientists to augment a brand team’s analytics can be done easily and cost-effectively. Shaveer Mirpuri, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Lipa earns her fifth leader on Dance/Mix Show Airplay (which ranks titles by weekly plays on a panel of core 24/7 dance stations augmented with mix show hours on pop stations, as monitored by Mediabase and provided to Billboard by Luminate). Gary Trust, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 Leaders must now navigate a landscape where decision-making is augmented by AI, requiring a deep understanding of AI capabilities and limitations. Izabela Lundberg, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Without residuals to augment their initial recording session payments, musicians won’t be able to sustain a career. Jon Burlingame, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Early adopters will enjoy a leap in worker productivity as the technology automates, augments or transforms various job roles. Michelle Cheng, Quartz, 6 Feb. 2024 All of these devices rely on external-facing sensors to understand their position relative to their physical surroundings, virtual content like augments, and other devices. WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023 At the Meta Connect conference last week, Mark Zuckerberg took the stage to talk about legions of interactive holograms invading our physical space through new mixed reality augments in the company’s Quest 3 headset. WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023 Many Warner artists are already exploring impactful ways to use generative AI to create, augment and remix their music. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2023 Companies say working in office augments innovation and collaboration. Niha Masih, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2023 Sag reckons that defendants in similar generative AI lawsuits will use a similar augment: Yes, data goes in, but what comes out is something quite different. WIRED, 25 July 2023 This would galvanize the workforce, attract and help retain talent, augment investment, promote innovation, and reward high-achievers with a financial stake (equity) in the organization’s future. Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 5 July 2022 Projects such as Woebot and Koko have used artificial intelligence to augment elements of talk therapy. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'augment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French augmenter, from Late Latin augmentare, from Latin augmentum increase, from augēre to increase — more at eke

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1671, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of augment was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near augment

Cite this Entry

“Augment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/augment. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

augment

verb
aug·​ment
ȯg-ˈment
1
: to increase especially in size, amount, or degree
2
: to add to : supplement
augmentation
ˌȯg-mən-ˈtā-shən
-ˌmen-
noun
Etymology

Verb

Middle English augmenten "to increase," from early French augmenter (same meaning), derived from Latin augēre "to increase" — related to auction

Medical Definition

augment

transitive verb
: to increase in size, amount, degree, or severity
diabetes mellitus is augmented by hyperthyroidismC. H. Thienes

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