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

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Etymology

Origin of latitude

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

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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

Domjan is aiming to make the first manned solar-powered flight into the stratosphere, which at Switzerland's latitude begins at around 10,000 to 12,000 metres, depending on climatic conditions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

"We started looking at things like latitude, oxygen availability, and habitat type as possible correlates to explain why certain species and individuals were larger than others, but we weren't seeing any patterns."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

A win for the government could give the Pentagon more latitude to take similar actions against companies in the future, analysts have said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

This fixes the Greenland-Africa size issue, allowing those who use it to get a sense of the comparative size of different landmasses, all while preserving straight lines of longitude and latitude.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Japanese forest composition varies with latitude and altitude: evergreen leafy forest in the south at low altitude, deciduous leafy forest in central Japan, and coniferous forest in the north and at high altitude.

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

Although Antarctica's geography allows winter sea ice to expand over enormous distances, it also pushes the ice into warmer latitudes, where melting becomes more likely during summer.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

These sites extend from tropical waters into higher latitudes, giving scientists a broad view of changes across the basin.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

However, studies have shown that higher latitudes, particularly in the northern hemisphere, will see the biggest increases in favourable conditions for storms to form, and those that do may be more violent.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

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

I know what she is thinking: of upright men in homburg hats, of black silk umbrellas and the corrupting rains of northern latitudes.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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