enlargement

Enlargement refers to the act or process of becoming larger in size, extent, or scope. It can describe physical growth, the expansion of spatial dimensions, or broadening in non-physical contexts such as organizations or markets. The term is used in mathematics and geometry as a specific type of similarity transformation called an enlargement (or dilation), which maps a figure to a larger or smaller figure with a fixed center and a positive scale factor not equal to one. The image is scaled about the center, preserving shapes and angles.

In photography, graphic design, and printing, enlargement denotes making a larger copy of an image or document. This involves upscaling via sampling and interpolation, which can affect sharpness and resolution.

In biology and medicine, enlargement refers to increases in cell size (hypertrophy) or cell number (hyperplasia), as well as the growth of organs or tissues. Common examples include muscle hypertrophy from training, and benign enlargement of organs such as the prostate. Disease or edema can also cause abnormal enlargement.

In organizational or geopolitical contexts, enlargement denotes the expansion of an organization or political union, such as regional blocs increasing membership.

Enlargement is often contrasted with reduction, contraction, or compression, which describe decreases in size or scope. The term overlaps with magnification and scaling in technical fields, but each context has specific definitions and implications.