latitude

American  

[lat-i-tood, -tyood] / ˈlæt ɪˌtud, -ˌtjud /

noun

• latitudes
  plural

1. Geography.

   1. the angular distance north or south from the equator of a point on the earth's surface, measured on the meridian of the point.

   2. a place or region as marked by this distance.

2. freedom from narrow restrictions; freedom of action, opinion, etc..

   He allowed his children a fair amount of latitude.

   Synonyms:

   indulgence, liberty, extent

3. Astronomy.

   1. celestial latitude.

   2. galactic latitude.

4. Photography. the ability of an emulsion to record the brightness values of a subject in their true proportion to one another, expressed as the ratio of the amount of brightness in the darkest possible value to the amount of brightness in the brightest.

   a latitude of 1 to 128.

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latitude British  

/ ˈlætɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. 1. an angular distance in degrees north or south of the equator (latitude 0°), equal to the angle subtended at the centre of the globe by the meridian between the equator and the point in question

   2. (often plural) a region considered with regard to its distance from the equator See longitude

2. scope for freedom of action, thought, etc; freedom from restriction

   his parents gave him a great deal of latitude

3. photog the range of exposure over which a photographic emulsion gives an acceptable negative

4. astronomy See celestial latitude

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latitude Scientific  

/ lăt′ĭ-to̅o̅d′ /

1. A measure of relative position north or south on the Earth's surface, measured in degrees from the equator, which has a latitude of 0°, with the poles having a latitude of 90° north and south. The distance of a degree of latitude is about 69 statute miles or 60 nautical miles (111 km). Latitude and longitude are the coordinates that together identify all positions on the Earth's surface.

2. Compare longitude

3. Celestial latitude.

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latitude Cultural  

1. The measurement, in degrees, of a place's distance north or south of the equator. (Compare longitude.)

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Synonym Usage

See range.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• latitudinal
  adjective
• latitudinally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• latitudes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of latitude

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin lātitūdō “breadth,” equivalent to lāt(us) “broad” + -i- -i- + -tūdō -tude

Explanation

Use the word latitude to describe how much freedom you have in making choices. For example, if a teacher gives you latitude in writing your paper, you might get to choose the topic and how many sources to include. Latitude is related to the Latin word latitudo, meaning "breadth, width, extent, size." You might already know that latitude is used to indicate the distance an object is from the equator, measured from north to south. Latitude can also be used to mean "be given the space to act and decide for oneself," like the latitude parents might give responsible kids.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

latitude latitudes

The new analysis adds another dimension by examining how density varies horizontally across latitude and longitude, revealing more of the thermosphere's geographic structure.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Getting such a charter would give huge latitude to crypto banks, endangering unsophisticated investors, critics say.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

And government budgets in advanced economies are stretched, leaving countries less latitude to reinvigorate economic activity through spending.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

The change is intended to give more latitude to players who may accidentally hold on to an opponent's hair.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

The other is that wintering at a relatively northern latitude has advantages that make up for the disadvantage of its coldness.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

When the new system becomes official in the next year, latitudes, longitudes and elevations across the country will change by as much as 13 feet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Even so, the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water became stronger, as did overturning at lower latitudes.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

During the glacial interval, the North Atlantic Current did not extend as far into the high northern latitudes.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

According to Sotheby's, the piece contains 94 cities inscribed within it, each marked with their respective longitudes and latitudes, along with 38 star pointers linked by intricate floral tracery.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

Polynesian food production depended mainly on agriculture, which was impossible at subantarctic latitudes because all Polynesian crops were tropical ones initially domesticated outside Polynesia and brought in by colonists.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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