elevation

American  

[el-uh-vey-shuhn] / ˌɛl əˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

• elevations
  plural

1. the height to which something is elevated or to which it rises.

   The elevation of the tower is 80 feet.

   Antonyms:

   depth

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

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

   Synonyms:

   plateau, mountain, hill, height

4. loftiness; grandeur or dignity; nobleness.

   elevation of mind.

   Synonyms:

   nobility, exaltation

5. the act of elevating.

   Her swift elevation to the chancellorship took no one by surprise.

6. the state of being elevated.

   She was fully enjoying her elevation to movie stardom.

7. 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.

8. Surveying.

   1. angle of elevation.

   2. the distance above a datum level.

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

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

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elevation British  

/ ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of elevating or the state of being elevated

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

3. a raised area; height

4. nobleness or grandeur; loftiness

   elevation of thought

5. a drawing to scale of the external face of a building or structure Compare plan ground plan

6. the external face of a building or structure

7. a ballet dancer's ability to leap high

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

9. astronomy another name for altitude

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

11. surveying the angular distance between the plane through a point of observation and an object above it Compare depression

12. linguistics another term for amelioration

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elevation Scientific  

/ ĕl′ə-vā′shən /

1. 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.

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Synonym Usage

See height.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonelevation
  noun
• reelevation
  noun
• elevational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• elevations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of elevation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ēlevātiōn- (stem of ēlevātiō ), equivalent to ēlevāt(us) “lifted, raised up” + -iōn- noun suffix; see origin at elevate, -ion

Explanation

An elevation is a rise or the raising of something. Mountains have an elevation based on how high they are and your mood has an elevation as you get happier. Elevation is a noun that tells how high something is raised above a surface or ground line. It's also a term for measuring things like temperatures or degrees. Your body temperature might have an elevation if you have the flu, just as the elevation of a hill increases as it gets steeper. Buildings have an elevation too: The front of a building from top to bottom is its front elevation of the structure.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elevation elevations

Automated software often reported trees as being much taller than they really were, especially when they stood beside cliffs or sharp changes in elevation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

I generally prefer, as a strategic matter, an elevation of shared values—inclusive, connective, moral language such as reclaiming, rather than reinventing or discarding.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

"Rescuers have also confirmed the presence of one additional body at a significantly higher elevation," he said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

She left her backcountry campsite about 4:30 a.m. to reach Half Dome by 6 a.m., catching the sunrise at 8,800-feet elevation from the granite monolith.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The surveyors had covered a map with scores of figures, each marking an elevation at some point on or around the mountain.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Forecasters warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with as much as 25 inches of rain possible at higher elevations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Researchers have identified genes in Tibetan dogs that allow them to function in oxygen-poor conditions that would challenge breeds from lower elevations.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

The newly discovered spider was found at elevations above 2,000 meters, and its species name, himalayana, honors the mountain range where it was discovered.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Though his first love was always parish work, we were there for his elevations to auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, bishop of San Diego and, most recently, archbishop of Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The night had become chilly, almost cold enough to lay down a frost, he thought; it must be freezing at the higher elevations.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• altitude
• ascent
• mountain