Synonyms of altitude

altitude

noun

ˈal-tə-ˌtüd 

1

as in elevation

the distance of something or someone from bottom to top

the altitude of the highest mountain in the U.S. is only about two thirds that of the highest mountain in the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

• elevation
• height
• inches
• stature
• tallness
• rise
• highness
• loftiness

2

as in hill

usually altitudes plural an area of high ground

the air is thinner at higher altitudes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• elevation
• hill
• height
• mountain
• cliff
• ridge
• prominence
• highland
• upland
• eminence
• rise
• peak
• mound
• hump
• table
• plateau
• steep
• mount
• dome
• tableland
• mesa
• crag
• knoll
• foothill
• bluff
• butte
• alp
• tor
• precipice
• downs
• sierra
• knob
• hillock
• hummock
• sugarloaf

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lowland
• valley
• depression
• vale
• basin
• dell
• hollow
• dale
• glen
• bottom
• plain
• floodplain
• flat
• tidewater
• bottomland
• fen
• dingle

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun altitude contrast with its synonyms?

The words elevation and height are common synonyms of altitude. While all three words mean "vertical distance either between the top and bottom of something or between a base and something above it," altitude and elevation apply to height as measured by angular measurement or atmospheric pressure; altitude is preferable when referring to vertical distance above the surface of the earth or above sea level; elevation is used especially in reference to vertical height on land.

fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters

Denver is a city with a high elevation

When is height a more appropriate choice than altitude?

In some situations, the words height and altitude are roughly equivalent. However, height refers to something measured vertically whether high or low.

a wall two meters in height

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of altitude

According to a statement from the Valais police, the avalanche began at an altitude of about 7,900 feet and buried the former bronze medalist under snow. —Devon Henderson, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026

Set beneath the Matterhorn, the resort spans over 225 miles of pistes across Switzerland and Italy, with high-altitude skiing that stretches up to nearly 12,800 feet on the glacier—often allowing for early-season and late-spring turns when other resorts are winding down. —Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Jan. 2026

Great Basin encompasses more than 77,000 acres of stunning wilderness, including a cave system, alpine lakes, pinyon-juniper forests, and high altitude peaks. —Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of about 340 miles (547 kilometers), completing one circuit of Earth every 95 minutes. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026