What does "altitude" mean?
The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.
Altitude
/ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.
- Grammar: altitude is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: elevation, height, abscissa, alt.
- Useful contrasts: azimuth, azimuths, depth.
- Usage evidence: We are cruising at an altitude of 39,000 feet.
How to use "altitude"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "altitude" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "altitude" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "altitude" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "altitude" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "altitude" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "elevation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "altitude", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level. countable, uncountable
"As the altitude increases, the temperature gets lower, so remember to bring warm clothes to the mountains."
- 2 elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface wordnet
- 3 A vertical distance. countable, uncountable
- 4 angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object) wordnet
- 5 The line perpendicularly connecting a figure’s vertex, especially a triangle’s apex, to the side opposite to the vertex. countable, uncountable
"All three altitudes of any triangle will always meet at point known as the orthocentre or orthocenter."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 the perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the opposite vertex (or side if parallel) wordnet
- 7 The length of such a line; the distance measured perpendicularly from a figure's vertex to the side opposite to the vertex. countable, uncountable
"The perpendicular height of a triangle is known as its altitude."
- 8 The angular distance of a heavenly body above our Earth's horizon. countable, uncountable
- 9 Height of rank or excellence; superiority. countable, uncountable
"Whoever has an ambition to be heard in a crowd, must press, and squeeze, and thrust, and climb, with indefatigable pains, till he has exalted himself to a certain degree of altitude above them."
- 10 Elevation of spirits; heroics; haughty airs. countable, dated, in-plural, uncountable
"The man of law began to get into his altitudes."
- 11 Highest point or degree. countable, uncountable
"He is [proud] even to the altitude of his virtue."
- 12 Krull dimension. countable, dated, uncountable
- 13 Height. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We are cruising at an altitude of 39,000 feet."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "altitude"?
Common synonyms include: elevation, height, abscissa, alt, altitude angle, angle above horizon.
How do you use "altitude" in a sentence?
We are cruising at an altitude of 39,000 feet.
How do you pronounce "altitude"?
Pronounced /ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/.
Etymology
From Middle English, borrowed from Latin altitūdō (“height”), from altus (“high”).