magnifies

Magnifies is the third-person singular present tense of the verb magnify. It generally means to increase the apparent size, extent, importance, or intensity of something.

In optics, magnification is the increase in the apparent size of an object produced by lenses or curved surfaces. Objects viewed through a magnifier, microscope, telescope, or camera lens appear larger than with the naked eye. The magnifying power is often expressed as a ratio of image size to object size or as the product of lens focal lengths in more complex instruments. For simple magnifiers, magnification roughly equals the near point distance divided by the lens focal length, within practical limits.

In imaging and display technology, magnification describes zoom or macro capability. Macro lenses enable close-up images with high magnification. Digital magnification or upscaling enlarges an image by software but does not create additional detail; it may reduce sharpness or introduce artifacts.

As a metaphor, magnifies is used to describe the intensification of issues or phenomena, for example that a problem magnifies as more factors are involved.

In accessibility contexts, screen magnification software enlarges content for users with visual impairment, adjusting zoom levels and text size to improve readability.