ramificationram‧i‧fi‧ca‧tion /ˌræmɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun [countable usually plural] formal 
an agreement which was to have significant ramifications for British politicsramification of the practical ramifications of taking on a new joblegal/political/economic etc ramifications the environmental ramifications of the road-building program
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- At the time, I was not aware of the ramifications of my actions.
- As yet nobody knows what its ramifications will be, though it is clear they will be enormous.
- Given the serious clinical ramifications, most attention has been justifiably directed at determining whether antihypertensive treatments are carcinogenic.
- He reminds us that safety lapses can have ramifications beyond ourselves.
- Meanwhile, the huge snowstorm that hit the East Coast Sunday is having credit ramifications for many municipalities.
- The full ramifications are well beyond the scope of this chapter.
- The McVeigh case must be regarded as a watershed, both in terms of its specific ramifications and its general implications.
- The political ramifications of resourcing and decision-making likewise can not be ignored.
- This ongoing evolution of the Internet has ramifications for the types of commercial activities it can offer.
Longman Language Activatora result that happens in addition to the intended result
a result that happens in addition to the result that you intended - use this especially about the unintended bad effects of medical treatment or drugs: · The drug can have side effects such as headaches and sickness.· Transplanting genes from one plant to another may have unintended side effects for the environment and the food supply.side effect of: · One of the side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss.dangerous/nasty/unpleasant etc side effects: · These pills don't normally have any unpleasant side-effects.
a result that is indirectly caused by something you do or that happens : indirect result of: · The job losses were an indirect result of lower cost imports.· The increase in greenhouse gases is the direct result of pollution, and the indirect result of a reduction in the atmosphere's ability to absorb them.
an unexpected result of an event or something you do, which happens in addition to the result you intended: by-product of: · One of the by-products of the peace treaty was the growth of trade between the two nations.· Another by-product of space exploration is a growing awareness of this planet's fragile environment.
formal something that is certain to happen in addition to the result you intend, so that you expect it but do not usually want it: corollary of: · Huge increases in unemployment were the corollary of the government's economic policy.a logical/natural/necessary etc corollary (of something): · A rapid increase in population would be a natural corollary of any such changes in the birth control program.the corollary of this is that: · The government has promised tax cuts, but the corollary of this is that there will be a reduction in public services.
an unexpected but useful result of something that you do, that happens in addition to the result that was intended: spin-off for: · One of the main spin-offs for countries that host the Olympic Games is increased business for hotels, restaurants, and theatres.have a spin-off : · Research into lasers has had important spin-offs for eye-surgery.
all the results of something you do, which affect people in ways that were not intended and which you do not always expect when you first make the decision to do it: ramifications of: · The ramifications of the decision whether to build a new airport or not are enormous.ramifications for: · The course that people choose to do at university can have ramifications for the rest of their lives.economic/legal/political etc ramifications: · Whatever the judges decide, the legal ramifications of the case will be with us for many years to come.wider ramifications (=more complicated results): · The introduction of national testing in schools had wider ramifications than people realized.
the additional and usually bad results of something that happens, which continue to affect people for a long time afterwards in a way that was not intended or expected: repercussions of: · The psychological repercussions of the accident might affect her for the rest of her life.have repercussions (on something): · The transport strike had all sorts of repercussions on other industries.important/profound/serious etc repercussions: · A scandal like this could have serious repercussions on his political career.economic/legal/political etc repercussions: · Even the possibility of a war in the Middle East has important political repercussions.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY an agreement which was to have significant ramifications for British politics the environmental ramifications of the road-building programCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
an additional result of something you do, which may not have been clear when you first decided to do it: an agreement which was to have significant ramifications for British politics the environmental ramifications of the road-building program· The legal ramifications of the Hains case are tortuous.· And if it meant that Senna were to lose the championship, then the legal ramifications would be far-reaching.· Steven Lowe, Liverpool Who would be the biological parents of a human clone, and what legal ramifications would this have?
· The political ramifications of resourcing and decision-making likewise can not be ignored.· The political ramifications of shutting Dagenham would be immense.
an agreement which was to have significant ramifications for British politicsramification of the practical ramifications of taking on a new joblegal/political/economic etc ramifications the environmental ramifications of the road-building program