Altitude meaning

ăltĭ-to͝od, -tyo͝od
altitudes
See word origin
Frequency:
The angular height of a planet, star, etc. above the horizon.
noun
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The height of an object or structure above a reference level, usually above sea level or the Earth's surface.
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The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.

As the altitude increases, the temperature gets lower, so remember to bring warm clothes to the mountains.

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The angular distance above the observer's horizon of a celestial object.
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A vertical distance.
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(geometry) The distance measured perpendicularly from a figure's vertex to the opposite side of the vertex.

The perpendicular height of a triangle is known as its altitude.

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(astronomy) The angular distance of a heavenly body above our Earth's horizon.
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Height of rank or excellence; superiority.

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(dated, in the plural) Elevation of spirits; heroics; haughty airs.

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Highest point or degree.
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The perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the opposite vertex, parallel side, or parallel surface.
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Height; esp., the height of a thing above the earth's surface or above sea level.
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A high place or region.
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A high level, rank, etc.
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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.
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The perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure, such as a triangle, to the opposite vertex, side, or surface.
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Origin of altitude

  • Middle English from Latin altitūdō from altus high al-2 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English, from Latin altitudo (“height"), from altus (“high").

    From Wiktionary

Altitude Sentence Examples

  • With increasing altitude vegetation becomes more varied and abundant, until the tree limit is reached; then follows a forest belt, which in the highest mountains is limited above by cold as it is below by aridity.

  • There was nothing to see at this altitude, but he wasn't seeing anything in the book anyway.

  • It is one of the highest mountains of Africa, its highest peak reaching an altitude of 17,007 feet.

  • But during the summer, temperatures are affected as much by altitude as by latitude, and the coast is cooled at night by breezes from the Gulf.

  • At the foot of this range there is, relatively speaking, a depression, with an altitude of about 3850 feet.

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Words near altitude in the Dictionary