intensity

noun — 6 senses

intensity

noun

/ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/

Etymology From intense + -ity. Cf. also Medieval Latin intensitas.

1

The quality of being intense.

  • “It is hard. And there is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting. I was not expecting the intensity of this experience, but this isn’t supposed to be easy. My father and this administration intends to be transformative, and we want to do big, bold things and we’re looking to change the status quo. So I didn’t expect it to be easy. I think some of the distractions and some of the ferocity was — I was a little blindsided by on a personal level,” she said.2017 June 12, Betsy Klein, quoting Ivanka Trump, “Ivanka Trump: ‘There is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting’”, in CNN, archived from the original on 20 Jul 2017:
2

The degree of strength.

  • The painting’s dislocated, unformed features are the very opposite of the hard, painted dolls of the other portrait, and, where they are dead and ready to topple, this unknown man’s eyes are full of intensity and life.1980, Ann Jefferson, “[Character and the age of suspicion] Unforgettable figures: Portrait d’un inconnu and Le voyeur”, in The Nouveau Roman and the Poetics of Fiction, Cambridge, Cambs: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 66:
  • Fagus sylvatica (European beech) and Acer saccharum (sugar maple, from North America) are very tolerant of deep shade, while Betula spp. (birches) and Populus spp. (poplars) grow best under high light intensities.2011, Peter A. Thomas, “General Forest Ecological Processes: Chapter 10 from Trees and Forests, a Color Guide”, in Arnoldia, volume 68, number 3, Boston, MA: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, page 22:
3

Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics Time-averaged energy flux (the ratio of average power to the area through which the power "flows"); irradiance.

4

Engineering, Natural sciences, Optics, Physical sciences, Physics Any of radiant intensity, luminous intensity or irradiance.

5

Astronomy, Natural sciences Synonym of radiance.

6

Geography, Geology, Natural sciences The severity of an earthquake in terms of its effects on the earth's surface, and buildings. The value depends on the distance from the epicentre, and is not to be confused with the magnitude.

Derived terms
archaeointensity, high-intensity, high-intensity interval training, high intensity training, hyperintensity, hypointensity, immunointensity, isointensity, light intensity, luminous intensity, magnetic field intensity, Mercalli intensity, overintensity, palaeointensity, paleointensity, photointensity, serointensity, superintensity
Related terms
intense

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.