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Webster 1913 Edition

Latitude

Lat′i-tude

,
Noun.
[F.
latitude
, L.
latitudo
, fr.
latus
broad, wide, for older
stlatus
; perh. akin to E.
strew
.]
1.
Extent from side to side, or distance sidewise from a given point or line; breadth; width.
Provided the length do not exceed the
latitude
above one third part.
Sir H. Wotton.
2.
Room; space; freedom from confinement or restraint; hence, looseness; laxity; independence.
In human actions there are no degrees and precise natural limits described, but a
latitude
is indulged.
Jer. Taylor.
3.
Extent or breadth of signification, application, etc.; extent of deviation from a standard, as truth, style, etc.
No discreet man will believe Augustine’s miracles, in the
latitude
of monkish relations.
Fuller.
4.
Extent; size; amplitude; scope.
I pretend not to treat of them in their full
latitude
.
Locke.
5.
(Geog.)
Distance north or south of the equator, measured on a meridian.
6.
(Astron.)
The angular distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic.
Ascending latitude
,
Circle of latitude
,
Geographical latitude
,
etc. See under
Ascending
.
Circle
, etc.
–
High latitude
,
that part of the earth's surface near either pole, esp. that part within either the arctic or the antarctic circle.
–
Low latitude
,
that part of the earth's surface which is near the equator.

Webster 1828 Edition

Latitude

LAT'ITUDE

,
Noun.
[L. latitudo, breadth; latus, broad.]
1.
Breadth; width; extent from side to side.
2.
Room; space.
[In the foregoing senses, little used.]
3.
In astronomy, the distance of a star north or south of the ecliptic.
4.
In geography, the distance of any place on the globe, north or south of the equator. Boston is situated in the forty third degree of north latitude.
5.
Extent of meaning or construction; indefinite acceptation. The words will not bear this latitude of construction.
6.
Extent of deviation from a settled point; freedom from rules or limits; laxity.
In human actions, there are no degrees and precise natural limits described, but a latitude is indulged.
7.
Extent.
I pretend not to treat of them in their full latitude.

Definition 2024

latitude

latitude

English

Noun

latitude ‎(plural latitudes)

  1. (geography, astronomy) The angular distance north or south from a planet's equator, measured along the meridian of that particular point.
  2. (geography) An imaginary line (in fact a circle) around a planet running parallel to the planet's equator.
  3. The relative freedom from restrictions; scope to do something.
    His parents gave him a great deal of latitude.
  4. (astronomy) The angular distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic.
  5. (photography) The extent to which a light-sensitive material can be over- or underexposed and still achieve an acceptable result.
  6. Extent or scope; e.g. breadth, width or amplitude.

Usage notes

  • When used to refer to distances or imaginary lines around a planet, latitude is relative to the Earth's Equator unless another planet is specified.

Hyponyms

  • ascending latitude
  • geographical latitude
  • high latitude
  • low latitude

Derived terms

  • high-latitude
  • low-latitude
  • mid-latitude

Related terms

Translations

angular distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic
extent to which a light-sensitive material can be over- or underexposed

See also

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Latin lātitūdō ‎(“breadth, width, latitude”), from lātus ‎(“broad, wide”), for older *stlatus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /la.ti.tyd/

Noun

latitude f ‎(plural latitudes)

  1. expansion, breadth
    • Ce principe peut avoir une grande latitude.
    • Donner trop de latitude à une proposition, à l’application d’un principe.
    • Laisser beaucoup de latitude aux agents chargés d’une mission.
    • Avoir toute latitude pour : avoir toute liberté pour.
  2. (geography) distance from one place to the equator measured in degrees on the meridian; parallel viewing
    • 1921, Henry-D. Davray and B. Kozakiewicz (translators), H.G. Wells (author), La Guerre dans les Airs, Mercure de France, page 174:
      C’est ici que ça se passe, 30°50’ de latitude nord, 30°50’ de longitude ouest… à une journée de distance pour nous, et ils filent sud-sud-ouest à toute vapeur. À ce train-là nous ne verrons rien, […].
    • 1928, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Dans la mer du Groenland:
      Le Scoresby Sund est le plus vaste fjord du monde entier. Il est découpé dans la côte Orientale du Groenland entre 70° et 72° de latitude Nord et 22° et 30° de longitude Ouest de Greenwich.
    • 1929, Alain Gerbault, À la poursuite du soleil, volume 1: De New-York à Tahiti:
      […] le 12 mars, par 20 degrés de latitude Nord, je rencontrai les vents alizés, je pouvais compter dorénavant sur un plus faible et agréable navigation dans les mers tropicales.
  3. (by extension) Different areas under a given temperature due to their greater or lesser distance from the equator.
    À la différence des animaux, l’homme peut vivre sous les latitudes les plus opposées.
  4. (astronomy) The angle with a plane parallel to the ecliptic, the straight line that passes through a heavenly body and a particular centre on this plane.
    • Latitude australe ou boréale.
    • Latitude héliocentrique, géocentrique, etc.
    • Latitude de Sirius.

Antonyms

References

  • All or part of this article is from the Dictionary of the French Academy, Eighth Edition, 1932-1935, but it may have been modified since.

Portuguese

Noun

latitude f (plural latitudes)

  1. (geography, astronomy) latitude (angular distance north or south from the equator)
  2. (geography) latitude (imaginary line parallel to the equator)

Etymology

From French latitude, from Latin lātitūdō ‎(“breadth, width, latitude”), from lātus ‎(“broad, wide”), from older stlātus.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈlæt.ɪ.tjuːd/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈlæt.ɪ.tud/, /ˈlæt.ə.tjud/

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