longitude

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

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

Some New Jersey educators have worked drones into lessons about longitude and latitude, while others have used them to demonstrate vocabulary words in foreign languages.

— naomi nix, The Atlantic, "The Value of Bringing Drones to the Classroom," 18 Aug. 2017
Careful observation of eclipses enabled 18th-century astronomers to get a more precise determination of the moon’s orbit, which in turn enabled the calculation of longitude at sea.

— tom avril, Philly.com, "Why total solar eclipses have snubbed Philly - for centuries," 18 Aug. 2017
The site calculates the antipode for any city or zip code entered by converting the latitude and longitude to the opposite hemisphere.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "Can you really dig a hole to China? This site has the answer.," 7 Aug. 2017
The international date line is on the opposite side of the planet from the Greenwich — or prime — meridian that marks zero degrees longitude.

— frank jordans, The Seattle Times, "International date line that splits US, Russia, explained," 18 July 2017
Carlisle, who opened Milkweed Health & Harmony Emporium about a year ago, designed an eclipse-themed T-shirt with the latitude and longitude of Hopkinsville.

— Washington Post, "In rural Kentucky, solar eclipse preparation keeps town busy," 28 June 2017
Tiffany & Co. designed the 24-inch trophy featuring 30 flags representing each Major League Baseball team, latitude and longitude lines symbolizing the world, and 24-karat vermeil stitches representing those on a baseball.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Morning Spin: Pritzker robocalls call Republican budget plan 'a sham'," 27 June 2017
The system is not only developing at an unusually low latitude but also an unusually far east longitude.

— brian mcnoldy, Washington Post, "Tropical storm Bret forms in Atlantic; Cindy may not be far behind, warning issued for Louisiana," 19 June 2017
That’ll actually happen around 1:15 p.m. because of Daylight Saving Time and our particular longitude.

— mike lynch / sky watch, Twin Cities, "Sky Watch: Summer solstice is near, and it’s all downhill from here," 17 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

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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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Definition of longitude for English Language Learners

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Definition of longitude for English Language Learners

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Definition of longitude for Students

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