Definition of longitude Longitude

/lɑˈnʤʌtuˌd/ - [lanjutud] - lon•gi•tude

We found 13 definitions of longitude from 7 different sources.

What does longitude mean?

Plural: longitudes

longitude - the angular distance between a point on any meridian and the prime meridian at Greenwich

angular distance the angular separation between two objects as perceived by an observer; "he recorded angular distances between the stars"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

longitude (Noun)
Angular distance measured west or east of the prime meridian .
longitude (Noun)
Any imaginary line perpendicular to the equator and part of a great circle passing through the North Pole and South Pole .
longitude (Noun)
Length.

longitude (n.)
Length; measure or distance along the longest line; -- distinguished from breadth or thickness; as, the longitude of a room; rare now, except in a humorous sense.
longitude (n.)
The arc or portion of the equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the meridian of some other place from which longitude is reckoned, as from Greenwich, England, or sometimes from the capital of a country, as from Washington or Paris. The longitude of a place is expressed either in degrees or in time; as, that of New York is 74¡ or 4 h. 56 min. west of Greenwich.
longitude (n.)
The distance in degrees, reckoned from the vernal equinox, on the ecliptic, to a circle at right angles to the ecliptic passing through the heavenly body whose longitude is designated; as, the longitude of Capella is 79¡.

longitude
Distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian at 0° measured by the angle between the plane of the prime meridian and that of the meridian through the point in question, or by the corresponding time difference.

longitude
Is an arc of the equator, or any parallel of latitude, contained between the meridian of a place and that of Greenwich, or any other first meridian. These arcs being similar, are expressed by the same number of degrees and miles, though the absolute distance on the earth's surface decreases as the latitude increases, for which see DEPARTURE. East longitude extends 180 degrees to the right, when looking north, and west longitude as many to the left of the first meridian.
longitude
The angular distance of a heavenly body from the first point of Aries, measured upon the ecliptic, as viewed from the earth.
longitude
The angular distance of a body from the first point of Aries, measured upon the ecliptic, as viewed from the sun.

Longitude is a way to say where a place is on the Earth. It is measured starting from an imaginary north-south line called the Prime Meridian. (A meridian is an imaginary line drawn from the North Pole to the South Pole.) Longitude says how far east or west of the Prime Meridian any place is.

Longitude is measured using degrees, the same way an angle is. The Prime Meridian is 0° (zero degrees), and the farthest away is +180° eastward and −180° westward. Unlike latitude, which has the equator as a natural starting position, there is no natural starting position for longitude. Other meridians have been used in the past, but most scientists now agree to use the Prime Meridian.