di ‧ men ‧ sion W3 AC /daɪˈmenʃ ə n, də-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin dimetiri 'to measure out' ]
1 . a part of a situation or a quality involved in it SYN aspect
dimension of
the moral dimension of world politics
add a new/an extra/another etc dimension (to something)
His coaching has added another dimension to my game.
political/social/economic etc dimension
It is important to keep in mind the historical dimension to these issues.
You can have a spiritual dimension to your life without being religious.
2 . [usually plural] the length, height, width, depth, or ↑ diameter of something SYN measurement :
a rectangle with the dimensions 5cm x 2cm
dimension of
We’ll need to know the exact dimensions of the room.
3 . a direction in space that is at an angle of 90 degrees to two other directions:
A diagram represents things in only two dimensions.
⇨ ↑ fourth dimension , ↑ three-dimensional (1), ↑ two-dimensional (1)
4 . dimensions [plural] how great or serious a problem is:
a catastrophe of enormous dimensions
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ add/give/bring a new etc dimension to something
Digital cameras have added a new dimension to photography.
▪ have a new/social etc dimension
Learning a language has an important cultural dimension.
▪ take on a new/extra etc dimension (=develop in a way that is new or different)
Since I met her, my life has taken on a completely different dimension.
■ adjectives
▪ a new/different dimension
The size of the bombs gave a new dimension to the terrorists’ campaign.
▪ an extra/added/additional/further dimension
Movies soon had the added dimension of sound.
▪ a social/political/cultural dimension
His writing has a strong political dimension.
▪ a moral/ethical dimension
The book discusses the ethical dimension involved in genetic engineering.
▪ a spiritual dimension
He was interested in the spiritual dimension to art.
▪ the human dimension
What the figures cannot show us is the human dimension of the disaster.
▪ an international dimension
The foreign players bring an international dimension to the English Premier League.