latitude

noun lat·i·tude \ ˈla-tə-ˌtüd , -ˌtyüd \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of latitude

1 archaic : extent or distance from side to side : width

2 : angular distance from some specified circle or plane of reference: such as

a : angular distance north or south from the earth's equator measured through 90 degrees

an island located at 40 degrees north latitude

b : angular distance of a celestial body from the ecliptic

c : a region or locality as marked by its latitude

3 a : scope, range

b : the range of exposures within which a film or plate will produce a negative or positive of satisfactory quality

4 : freedom of action or choice

students are allowed considerable latitude in choosing courses

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latitudinal

play \ˌla-tə-ˈtüd-nəl, -ˈtyüd-; -ˈtü-də-nəl, -ˈtyü-\ adjective

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latitudinally

adverb

See latitude defined for English-language learners

See latitude defined for kids

Examples of latitude in a Sentence

a map of the world showing lines of latitude and longitude
located at a latitude of 40 degrees north
Madrid and New York City are on nearly the same latitude.
islands located at different latitudes
We weren't given much latitude in deciding how to do the job.
The judge has wide latitude to reject evidence for the trial.

Recent Examples of latitude from the Web

And at these latitudes, the snowpack—well above normal for this banner season and drier than neighboring British Columbia—will hold well into May. Everything is bigger and stretches further in Alberta, including your U.S. dollar.

— katie arnold, Outside Online, "Banff's Top Family Adventures," 11 Apr. 2018
Over time, the laws proliferated and evolved, and today, police departments have wide latitude to choose when and where to enforce the ordinances.

— peter edelman, The New Republic, "How housing ordinances are making poverty a crime," 10 Apr. 2018
Police are rarely prosecuted for shootings Police are very rarely prosecuted for shootings — and not just because the law allows them wide latitude to use force on the job.

— german lopez, Vox, "New York City police shoot and kill unarmed black man, mistaking a silver pipe for a gun," 5 Apr. 2018
Only two cities on the list, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, are higher in latitude.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati makes list of most termite-infested cities," 5 Apr. 2018
Seamen had long used the position of the sun or North Star in the sky to figure out latitude — that is, distance from the equator in the north-south direction, according to The Conversation.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "John Harrison’s super-accurate clock helped solve the longitude puzzle," 3 Apr. 2018
Or lobby for juridical reform that rethinks the wide latitude cops are given under law to use deadly force.

— marcos bretón, sacbee, "Our Stephon Clark lie - ‘Diverse’ Sacramento is not as tolerant as we think | The Sacramento Bee," 29 Mar. 2018
For hours after House passage, the legislation stalled in the Senate, where the chamber's rules grant a single senator significant latitude to hold up a vote.

— author: mike debonis, erica werner, Anchorage Daily News, "Congress passes budget with little time to spare," 23 Mar. 2018
The two act more like sisters than mother and daughter, and Erica is given wide latitude in exchange for peace.

— barbara vandenburgh, azcentral, "‘Flower’ proves how hard it is to write a teenage girl," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'latitude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of latitude

Origin and Etymology of latitude

Middle English, from Latin latitudin-, latitudo, from latus wide; akin to Old Church Slavonic postĭlati to spread

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

latitude Synonyms

Synonyms

authorization, free hand, freedom, license (or licence), run;

range, room, space;

blank check, carte blanche;

Other Cartography Terms

Robinson projection, benchmark, plat, projection, topography

LATITUDE Defined for English Language Learners

latitude

noun

Definition of latitude for English Language Learners

: distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees up to 90 degrees
: an imaginary line that circles the Earth at a particular latitude and that is parallel to the equator
: freedom to choose how to act or what to do