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

This flexibility could allow Elytra to work with satellites operating at vastly different altitudes and built with varying sizes and configurations. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026

For example, a European Space Agency program to demonstrate small, suborbital hops called Themis was originally supposed to perform low-altitude hop tests by 2022. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026

During those same four years, there were 85 times where aircraft were less than 1,500 feet apart, and within 200 feet of altitude. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Achieving a steady 50-W output generally requires a more consistent high-altitude airflow that the tiny ground-level camping tripod might rarely encounter. — New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026