order of magnitude

Other forms: orders of magnitude

Definitions of order of magnitude

1. noun

   a number assigned to the ratio of two quantities; two quantities are of the same order of magnitude if one is less than 10 times as large as the other; the number of magnitudes that the quantities differ is specified to within a power of 10
   synonyms: magnitude

   type of:

   ratio

   the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient)
2. noun

   a degree in a continuum of size or quantity
   synonyms: order

   type of:

   magnitude

   the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small)