altitude

[ al-ti-tood, -tyood ]
/ ˈæl tɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR altitude ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the height of anything above a given planetary reference plane, especially above sea level on earth.
extent or distance upward; height.
Astronomy. the angular distance of a heavenly body above the horizon.
Geometry.
  1. the perpendicular distance from the vertex of a figure to the side opposite the vertex.
  2. the line through the vertex of a figure perpendicular to the base.
Usually altitudes. a high place or region: mountain altitudes.
high or important position, rank, etc.

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Origin of altitude

1350–1400; Middle English from Latin altitūdō; see alti-, -tude

synonym study for altitude

1, 2. See height.

OTHER WORDS FROM altitude

al·ti·tu·di·nous [al-ti-tood-n-uhs, -tyood-], /ˌæl tɪˈtud n əs, -ˈtyud-/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH altitude

1. altitude , attitude; 2. altitude , elevation, height(see synonym study at height).

Words nearby altitude

altiloquent, altimeter, altimetry, Altiplano, altissimo, altitude, altitude chamber, altitude dial, altitude sickness, altitudinal, altitudinal hemianopsia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to altitude

distance, elevation, peak, apex, eminence, summit, loftiness

Example sentences from the Web for altitude

British Dictionary definitions for altitude

altitude
/ (ˈæltɪˌtjuːd) /

noun

the vertical height of an object above some chosen level, esp above sea level; elevation
geometry the perpendicular distance from the vertex to the base of a geometrical figure or solid
Also called: elevation astronomy nautical the angular distance of a celestial body from the horizon measured along the vertical circle passing through the bodyCompare azimuth (def. 1)
surveying the angle of elevation of a point above the horizontal plane of the observer
(often plural) a high place or region

Derived forms of altitude

altitudinal, adjective

Word Origin for altitude

C14: from Latin altitūdō, from altus high, deep
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for altitude

altitude
[ ăl′tĭ-tōōd′ ]

The height of an object or structure above a reference level, usually above sea level or the Earth's surface.
Astronomy The position of a celestial object above an observer's horizon, measured in degrees along a line between the horizon (0°) and the zenith (90°). Unlike declination and celestial latitude-the corresponding points in other celestial coordinate systems-the altitude of star or other celestial object is dependent on an observer's geographic location and changes steadily as the sky passes overhead due to the rotation of the Earth. See more at altazimuth coordinate system.
Mathematics The perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure, such as a triangle, to the opposite vertex, side, or surface.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.