elevation

[el-uh-vey-shuhn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR elevation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the height to which something is elevated or to which it rises: The elevation of the tower is 80 feet.

the altitude of a place above sea level or ground level.

an elevated place, thing, or part; an eminence.

loftiness; grandeur or dignity; nobleness: elevation of mind.

the act of elevating.

the state of being elevated.

Architecture. a drawing or design that represents an object or structure as being projected geometrically on a vertical plane parallel to one of its sides.

Surveying.

Also called angle of elevation.the angle between the line from an observer or instrument to an object above the observer or instrument and a horizontal line.
the distance above a datum level.

the ability of a dancer to stay in the air while executing a step or the height thus attained.

the Elevation, Roman Catholic Church. the lifting by the celebrant of the Eucharistic elements immediately after consecration, for adoration by the communicants.

Origin of elevation

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Latin ēlevātiōn- (stem of ēlevātiō), equivalent to ēlevāt(us) (see elevate) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsnon·el·e·va·tion, nounre·el·e·va·tion, noun

Can be confusedaltitude elevation height (see synonym study at height)

Synonyms for elevation

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR elevation ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See height. 3. height; hill; mountain; plateau. 4. exaltation, nobility.

Antonyms for elevation

1. depth.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for elevation

mountain, altitude, ascent, acclivity, ridge, hillock, top, rise, roof, platform, boost, hoist, hill, uplift, heave, eminence, levitation, upthrow, ennoblement, raise

Examples from the Web for elevation

Contemporary Examples of elevation

Elevation sends radio stations two versions of the songs: one, complete, three to four minute version.
The Government Is Using Subliminal Songs To Scare Immigrants
Caitlin Dickson
July 12, 2014
Variables like weather, azimuth, elevation, crude launchers, and rocket viability quickly add up.
Dodging Rockets in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s Fighting Season Begins
Nick Willard
May 14, 2014
Many of the gender-variant male types were stigmatized; being regarded as women was hardly an elevation in social status.
Why Africa’s Turning Anti-Gay
Jay Michaelson
March 31, 2014
There are dozens of fitness gadgets on the market that can measure movement, heart rate, elevation, and even body temperature.
How to Find the Best Fitness Tracker for You
Brent Rose
November 20, 2013
Being a thousand miles from the ocean and at a ten thousand elevation, our snowflakes are mostly air.
Olympians Dish on Their Favorite Spots to Ski & Snowboard
The Daily Beast
October 26, 2013

Historical Examples of elevation

The elevation of this encampment is 2,940 feet above the sea.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont
The elevation of the camp by the boiling point, is 8,050 feet.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont
By observation, the elevation of this encampment is 2,250 feet.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont
How high from the surface of the ground has this dust been gathered--at what elevation?
Scientific American Supplement, No. 433, April 19, 1884
Various
This is one advantage of starting from an elevation—your machine will go further.
Flying Machines
W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for elevation

elevation

noun

the act of elevating or the state of being elevated

the height of something above a given or implied place, esp above sea level

a raised area; height

nobleness or grandeur; loftinesselevation of thought

a drawing to scale of the external face of a building or structureCompare plan (def. 3), ground plan (def. 1)

the external face of a building or structure

a ballet dancer's ability to leap high

RC Church the lifting up of the Host at Mass for adoration

astronomy another name for altitude (def. 3)

the angle formed between the muzzle of a gun and the horizontal

surveying the angular distance between the plane through a point of observation and an object above itCompare depression (def. 7)

linguistics another term for amelioration

Derived Formselevational, adjective

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

Word Origin and History for elevation

late 14c., "a rising, height of something," from Old French elevation and directly from Latin elevationem (nominative elevatio) "a lifting up," noun of action from past participle stem of elevare (see elevate). Meaning "act of elevating" is from 1520s.

elevation in Science

elevation

[ĕl′ə-vā′shən]

The vertical distance between a standard reference point, such as sea level, and the top of an object or point on the Earth, such as a mountain. At 8,850 m (29,028 ft), the summit of Mount Everest is the highest elevation on Earth.