longitude

noun lon·gi·tude \ ˈlän-jə-ˌtüd , -ˌtyüd , British also ˈläŋ-gə- \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of longitude

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

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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 of longitude from the Web

Harrison was self-educated, and is credited with creating the first marine chronometer to calculate longitude when sailors were at sea.

— mackenzie cummings-grady, Billboard, "Google Doodle Celebrates Famous Clockmaker John Harrison," 3 Apr. 2018
Tied around their legs were specimen labels: faded, handwritten records of the date, altitude, latitude, and longitude of their capture, along with other vital details.

— Outside Online, "The Curious Case of the Fly-Fishing Feather Thief," 19 Apr. 2018
Today’s Google Doodle celebrates clockmaker John Harrison, whose efforts to calculate longitude helped people figure out their place in the world — literally.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "John Harrison’s super-accurate clock helped solve the longitude puzzle," 3 Apr. 2018
As a result of this achievement, which took Harrison from 1728 to 1735 to complete, he was rewarded £20,000 by the Board of Longitude for constructing an instrument that could find the longitude within 30 miles of a voyage.

— mackenzie cummings-grady, Billboard, "Google Doodle Celebrates Famous Clockmaker John Harrison," 3 Apr. 2018
Xinhua news agency says the window is between 8:11 a.m. and 9:33 a.m. Tiangong-1 is forecast to re-enter in an area centered on 19.4 degrees west longitude and 10.2 degrees south latitude in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

— Fox News, "The Latest: Space station re-entry called mostly successful," 2 Apr. 2018
Xinhua news agency says the window is between 8:11 a.m. and 9:33 a.m. Tiangong-1 is forecast to re-enter in an area centered on 19.4 degrees west longitude and 10.2 degrees south latitude in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

— Bloomberg.com, "Chinese Space Station Re-Enters Earth’s Atmosphere, Burns Up," 2 Apr. 2018
Below the maps is Tiangong-1’s exact latitude and longitude, altitude and speed.

— elana glowatz, Newsweek, "Where Is Tiangong-1 as It Falls Toward Earth? Chinese Space Station on Collision Course," 21 Mar. 2018
The International Date Line zigs and zags back and forth through UTC−12, but all the inhabited islands that would normally fall into the time zone's longitude (Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji) have moved forward to UTC+12 or UTC+13.

— ken jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, "These Islands Are the Last to Ring in the New Year," 1 Jan. 2018

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

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.

Illustration of longitude

Origin and Etymology of longitude

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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LONGITUDE Defined for English Language Learners

longitude

noun

Definition of longitude for English Language Learners

: distance measured in degrees east or west from an imaginary line (called the prime meridian) that goes from the North Pole to the South Pole and that passes through Greenwich, England
: an imaginary line that circles the Earth at a particular longitude

LONGITUDE Defined for Kids

longitude

noun lon·gi·tude \ ˈlän-jə-ˌtüd , -ˌtyüd \

Definition of longitude for Students

: distance measured in degrees east or west of an imaginary line that runs from the north pole to the south pole and passes through Greenwich, England

Learn More about longitude

See words that rhyme with longitude Spanish Central: Translation of longitude Nglish: Translation of longitude for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about longitude

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