topography

American  

[tuh-pog-ruh-fee] / təˈpɒg rə fi /

noun

• topographies
  plural

1. the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality.

2. the detailed description, especially by means of surveying, of particular localities, as cities, towns, or estates.

3. the relief features or surface configuration of an area.

4. the features, relations, or configuration of a structural entity.

5. a schema of a structural entity, as of the mind, a field of study, or society, reflecting a division into distinct areas having a specific relation or a specific position relative to one another.

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topography British  

/ ˌtɒpəˈɡræfɪk, təˈpɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the study or detailed description of the surface features of a region

2. the detailed mapping of the configuration of a region

3. the land forms or surface configuration of a region

4. the surveying of a region's surface features

5. the study or description of the configuration of any object

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topography Scientific  

/ tə-pŏg′rə-fē /

1. The three-dimensional arrangement of physical attributes (such as shape, height, and depth) of a land surface in a place or region. Physical features that make up the topography of an area include mountains, valleys, plains, and bodies of water. Human-made features such as roads, railroads, and landfills are also often considered part of a region's topography.

2. The detailed description or drawing of the physical features of a place or region, especially in the form of contour maps.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• topographer
  noun
• topographic
  adjective
• topographical
  adjective
• topographically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• topographies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of topography

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English topographye, from Late Latin topographia, from Greek topographía; see topo-, -graphy

Explanation

Topography is a detailed map of the surface features of land. It includes the mountains, hills, creeks, and other bumps and lumps on a particular hunk of earth. This handy word is a Greek-rooted combo of topos meaning "place" and graphein, "to write." The suffix -graphy means writing or representation made in a specific way, and shows up in familiar words like photography, oceanography, or even geography, which is similar to topography, but refers to where things are, but not what's on top. Topography represents a particular area in detail, including everything natural and man-made — hills, valleys, roads, or lakes. It's the geographical contours of the land.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

topography topographies

Geologists have determined the sounds are from shifting tectonic plates, creating underground rumblings that are amplified by the topography.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The OS first started mapping Britain 230 years ago and has since documented the changes in the country's topography.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

To get a sense of the topography, walk 10 minutes from the center of town up to the Citadelle, a fortress where peacocks roam and you’ll have panoramic views over the Gulf of St. Tropez.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The automated program uses weather observations, forecast data, fuel and vegetation conditions, topography, location data, and information on available resources.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026

She was almost sure this was where she’d lost Lazlo, but the topography had changed.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

It takes a thoroughly empirical approach to California’s four seasons and their manifestation across its myriad topographies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2024

University of Washington scientists who combined sea-level projections with topographies along Washington’s coast found some parts of Seattle and other areas will be permanently underwater if worst-case projections are realized.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 9, 2024

Sure, there are intimations of topographies viewed from above, and of the kinds of artificially colored photographs of deep space later produced by the Hubble Telescope.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2022

Challenging topographies, like thick forests or remote mountains, that don’t provide an easy high speed solution.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 17, 2022

A third advantage of the Fertile Crescent’s Mediterranean zone is that it provides a wide range of altitudes and topographies within a short distance.

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

Related Words

• contour