elevation

[ el-uh-vey-shuhn ]

/ ˌɛl əˈveɪ ʃən /

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.

Nearby words

elev., elevate, elevated, elevated railroad, elevated railway, elevation, elevator, elevator muscle of angle of mouth, elevator muscle of anus, elevator muscle of prostate, elevator muscle of scapula

Origin of elevation

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

SYNONYMS FOR elevation

1 See height.

3 height; hill; mountain; plateau.

4 exaltation, nobility.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR elevation ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR elevation

1 depth.

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Related forms

non·el·e·va·tion, nounre·el·e·va·tion, noun

Can be confused

altitude elevation height (see synonym study at height)

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
The elevation of temperature within certain limits, hastens the separation.
Domestic Animals|Richard L. Allen
The elevation and delicacy, the sense and seriousness, the beauty and perfection of the whole are astonishing.
Amiel's Journal|Henri-Frdric Amiel
The plateau, at an elevation of eighteen hundred feet above the level of the sea, sloped down toward the south.
Five Weeks in a Balloon|Jules Verne
An inch or two to the left would have plumped it right aboard, for the elevation is just right.
With the Dyaks of Borneo|F. S. Brereton
The imperial fort, too, was built upon an elevation of 750 feet; it is incredible that it should be so totally submerged.
Off on a Comet|Jules Verne

British Dictionary definitions for elevation

elevation

/ (ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃən) /

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 Forms

elevational, 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

Science definitions for elevation

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.