Meaning & use
longitude
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
The distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.
Grammar: Often used with 'at': 'at a longitude of 30°E'.
Patterns
- longitude of a place
- at a longitude of ...
- lines of longitude
The ship's longitude was calculated using the stars.
New York is at approximately 74 degrees west longitude.
Lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole.
Word forms
| plural | longitudes |
|---|
Common combinations
- lines of longitude
- Lines of longitude help sailors find their position.
- degrees of longitude
- The city lies at 10 degrees of longitude east.
- east/west longitude
- The island is at 5° south latitude and 120° east longitude.
- longitude and latitude
- GPS gives both longitude and latitude.
Synonyms and how they differ
- meridian
- A meridian is a line of longitude, not the measurement itself.
Word family
- longitudinal adjective
- Relating to longitude or lengthwise direction.
Commonly confused: longitude or latitude?
longitude vs latitude
Latitude measures distance north or south of the equator, while longitude measures east or west of the prime meridian.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'longitude' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Longitude is an angular distance east or west, so degrees west is correct. The other options confuse it with height, emotion, or physical length.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “longitude”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.