longitude

noun

lon·​gi·​tude ˈlän-jə-ˌtüd 

-ˌtyüd

British also ˈläŋ-gə-

1

a

: angular distance measured on a great circle of reference from the intersection of the adopted zero meridian with this reference circle to the similar intersection of the meridian passing through the object

b

: the arc or portion of the earth's equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the prime meridian and expressed either in degrees or in time

2

archaic : long duration

Illustration of longitude

• hemisphere marked with meridians of longitude

Did you know?

The imaginary (but very important) lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole. Each is identified by the number of degrees it lies east or west of the so-called prime meridian in Greenwich, England (part of London). A circle is divided into 360°; so, for example, the longitude of the Egyptian city of Cairo is about 31°E—that is, about 31° east of London. The "long" sense of the root may be easier to see in some uses of the adjective longitudinal: A longitudinal study is a research study that follows its subjects over many long years, and a longitudinal engine is one that drives a crankshaft that runs lengthwise under a vehicle (as in rear-wheel-drive cars) rather than crosswise.

Examples of longitude in a Sentence

a map of the world showing lines of latitude and longitude

calculating the longitudes of different places

The regions are on roughly the same longitude.

Recent Examples on the Web

The posts cryptically contained numbers that appear to be latitude and longitude coordinates. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026

Eastern North Pacific Basin – From the Equator northward, east of 140°W longitude, including western coastal areas of Mexico, and Central and South America. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 May 2026

The satellite, EchoStar XXV, flew to a geosynchronous transfer orbit before maneuvering to its operational position at 110 degrees west longitude above the equator. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 Mar. 2026

Picture yourself waking up on the frozen continent after a journey to end of the Earth at 90-degrees south, where all 360 lines of longitude meet, and every direction points north. — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin longitudin-, longitudo, from longus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for longitude

• altitude
• amplitude
• aptitude
• attitude
• barbecued
• certitude
• desuetude
• devalued
• finitude
• fortitude
• gratitude
• interlude

Kids Definition

longitude

noun

lon·​gi·​tude ˈlän-jə-ˌt(y)üd 

: distance measured by degrees or time east or west from the prime meridian

the longitude of New York is 74 degrees or about five hours west of Greenwich