true north

American  

noun

Navigation, Surveying.

1. the direction of the north pole from a given point.

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true north British  

noun

1. Also called: geographic north.  the direction from any point along a meridian towards the North Pole Compare magnetic north

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true north Scientific  

1. See geographic north

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Compare meaning

How does true-north compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• true north vs. magnetic north

Example Sentences

The hade is essentially the tilt of the sample, while the azimuth is the absolute direction the sample is pointing relative to true north.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024

While promising to modernize the agency’s technology, address its paperwork burden and audit high-income earners, Werfel says he will be “unyielding in following my true north to increase public trust.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2023

Whether it will maintain its true north is one of the movie’s intriguing tensions.

From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2022

“What I find interesting about her is that she and Superman are the OG, true north, very simple superheroes,” she adds.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2020

The pyramid and the rest of the city are oriented on a rectilinear grid 15° 25” from true north, a direction that may have aligned with the cave mouth.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann