Definition of elevationnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun elevation contrast with its synonyms?

The words altitude and height are common synonyms of elevation. 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 can height be used instead of elevation?

The words height and elevation can be used in similar contexts, but height refers to something measured vertically whether high or low.

a wall two meters in height

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elevation That combined 929,000 feet of elevation change is equal to going from sea level to the top of Mount Everest and back roughly 16 times. Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Some of these showers could be more than just a light drizzle, with a few thunderstorms in the mix Wednesday afternoon and at elevation. Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 At 441 feet high, the lookout is the highest point of elevation in the area, meaning a bird’s eye view of the forest’s colorful canopy. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 Yet without elevation and anchoring, fast-moving waters could easily sweep them downstream. Ren Larson, ProPublica, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elevation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elevation
Noun
  • Ahmed Walid Fabio Vieira (Hamburg) Vieira was the creative heart of Hamburg’s survival in the Bundesliga last season, their first back in the top tier after promotion.
    David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Central Carolina fair maintains an active Facebook page and regularly posts updates, including promotions and videos of adorable petting zoo animals.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The province of Jijel, 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Algiers, renowned for its fine sandy beaches, turquoise waters and hills of olive trees and fruit trees and cedars, has suffered the greatest damage.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The route at Thousand Steps Beach in South Laguna gains roughly 250 feet in elevation within a quarter mile from the sand to the highest point of the Ninth Avenue hill.
    Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Competitors had to lift them onto podiums at different heights in the quickest time possible.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The height variations alone generated strong ESM signals, proving that false data could appear out of thin air.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Word of the young forward’s ascent to that elite bracket was quietly delivered by his then Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier in a 2001 telephone call, but Owen, only 22 at the time, remembers it as carrying little significance.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This season, the Chargers have a long runway followed by a dramatic ascent.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The last hit scored the Rockies’ seventh and eighth runs, which meant free tacos for all in attendance, as well as the end of Rincon’s night on the mound.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • An undersea cable for an electricity project was set to go right through the popular mound of stones, but protesters were not having it.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Mountain travelers face rapidly changing weather, lightning and high altitude.
    Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But the jet rose above the normal path aircraft take on their approach to Runway 30 before dropping altitude to return back into proper position, tracking data from Flightradar24 showed.
    Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Building codes for tall buildings have evolved in the past quarter century, and today’s skyscrapers incorporate many advancements that make new buildings safer.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • His occasional free-agent splurges obscured an organizational myopia that left his team with scant investments in staffing, analytical advancements and technological necessities.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This week's quiz highlights Hollywood health, mountain missions — and a lot more.
    Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Authorities have also warned of potential further collapse around the glacier on Langtang Lirung mountain in Nepal, which cracked and broke off, triggering the August 26 landslide and flooding.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Elevation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elevation. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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