dimensions
|di/men/sion|
🇺🇸
/dɪˈmɛnʃən/
🇬🇧
/dɪˈmɛnʃ(ə)n/
(dimension)
measurable extent
Etymology
'dimension' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'dimensio' (from the verb 'dīmetīrī'), where the element 'dis-/dī-' meant 'apart' and 'metīrī' meant 'to measure.'
'dimension' came into English via Old French 'dimension' from Latin 'dimensio'; the Latin verb 'dīmetīrī' (to measure out) produced the noun 'dimensio', which developed into Middle English and then modern English 'dimension'.
Initially, it meant 'an act of measuring' or 'the result of measuring', but over time it evolved to include 'measurable extent' and more abstract senses like 'aspect' or 'realm'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a measurable extent of some kind, such as length, width, or height.
The dimensions of the table are 2 m by 1 m.
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Noun 2
a particular aspect, feature, or facet of a situation or problem.
We need to consider the political and economic dimensions of the issue.
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Noun 3
in mathematics and physics, the number of independent parameters or coordinates needed to specify a point (e.g., three dimensions).
A vector space can have any number of dimensions.
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Noun 4
a realm or plane of existence, often used in speculative fiction to denote alternate realities.
The story takes place in multiple dimensions.
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Last updated: 2025/12/04 22:20