altitude
noun
al·ti·tude
| \ Ëal-tÉ-ËtĂŒd also -ËtyĂŒd
\
\
Definition of altitude
1a
: the vertical elevation of an object above a surface (such as sea level or land) of a planet or natural satellite
b
: the angular elevation of a celestial object above the horizon
c(1)
: a perpendicular line segment from a vertex (see vertex sense 2a) of a geometric figure (such as a triangle or a pyramid) to the opposite side or the opposite side extended or from a side or face to a parallel side or face or the side or face extended
(2)
: the length of an altitude
2a
: vertical distance or extent
b
: position at a height
The plane lost altitude.
c
: an elevated region : eminence
—usually used in plural
3
: a high level (as of quality or feeling)
the altitudes of his anger
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Other Words from altitude
altitudinal
\ Ëal-tÉ-ËtĂŒ-dá”n-Él
, -ËtyĂŒ- \
adjective
, -ËtyĂŒ- \
adjective
altitudinous
\ -dá”n-És
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of altitude in a Sentence
the air temperature at different altitudes
Some visitors find it difficult to adjust to the city's high altitude.
The plane lost altitude rapidly.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Pilots also practice low altitude turns with malfunctions, such as an engine failure or hydraulic failure, in the simulator regularly. — John Cox, USA TODAY, "Ask the Captain: Is my pet safe in the cargo hold? Why do planes turn soon after takeoff?," 15 Aug. 2019 That effort, which aimed at building a hypersonic cruise missile capable of dropping multiple warheads while flying at low altitude, was shut down by the Kennedy administration because the weapon was seen as too provocative. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile blows up, creating âmini-Chernobylâ," 12 Aug. 2019 They are launched into the air and able to weave an unpredictable path at relatively low altitudes. — David E. Sanger, New York Times, "U.S. Officials Suspect New Nuclear Missile in Explosion That Killed 7 Russians," 12 Aug. 2019 They are launched into the air and able to weave an unpredictable path at relatively low altitudes. — David E. Sanger, BostonGlobe.com, "Fatal explosion in Russia released radiation, giving United States pause," 12 Aug. 2019 The Air Canada plane flew over the other planes at very low altitude â as low as 60 feet from the ground â before pulling up, according to National Transportation Safety Board investigatorsâ reports. — Thomas Peele, The Mercury News, "U.S. Rep. DeSaulnier introduces airline safe-landing bill after near miss at SFO," 8 Aug. 2019 The canyon is well-known for its jet flybys due to the proximity of the nearby naval base and its use as a low-altitude training ground for pilots. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "F/A-18E Fighter Jet Crashes in 'Star Wars Canyon,' Injuring Seven," 31 July 2019 Observers say a low altitude flight by the missiles indicate North Korea may have been testing their ability to avoid being intercepted. — Time, "South Korea Claims North Korea Has Launched More Short-Range Ballistic Missiles," 31 July 2019 Continuing with the descent was a much safer option than a low-altitude abort. — William Harwood, CBS News, "The inside story of Apollo 11's nail-biting descent to the surface of the moon," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'altitude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for altitude
altitude
noun
English Language Learners Definition of altitude
: the height of something (such as an airplane) above the level of the sea
See the full definition for altitude in the English Language Learners Dictionary
altitude
noun
al·ti·tude
| \ Ëal-tÉ-ËtĂŒd
, -ËtyĂŒd\
, -ËtyĂŒd\
Kids Definition of altitude
1
: height above a certain level and especially above sea level
2
: the perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the vertex or to the side parallel to the base
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