Augmenté

Augmenté is the masculine singular past participle of the French verb augmenter, meaning to increase. As an adjective, augmenté denotes something that has been increased, augmented, or enhanced, and it agrees with the noun it modifies (augmenté, augmentée, augmentés, augmentées). The term comes from Latin augēre, “to increase,” via Old French augmenter.

In grammar, augmenté can form compound tenses with an auxiliary verb and may function adjectivally to describe a modified noun. For example, in the passive voice, one says “les prix ont été augmentés” (the prices have been increased). The feminine form augmentée is used when referring to feminine nouns, and augmentés or augmentées for plural forms.

In mathematics, the phrase matrice augmentée refers to an augmented matrix, a matrix used to solve systems of linear equations. It consists of the coefficient matrix augmented by the column of constants, enabling row-reduction methods to determine solutions.

In music theory, augmenté describes intervals or chords widened by a semitone, such as quarte augmentée (augmented fourth) or accord augmenté (augmented chord). The term is also related to augmentation, a method in which melodic values are lengthened, though this use is more often discussed in the broader context of composition and counterpoint.

In contemporary usage, the feminine form augmentée appears in phrases like réalité augmentée, meaning augmented reality, where the adjective describes technology that overlays digital information onto the real world.