Meanings
nounlongitude (countable and uncountable, plural longitudes)
plural longitudes
- countableuncountablegeographyAngular distance measured west or east of the prime meridian.
But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.
2012 March 28, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87 - countableuncountableastronomyAny imaginary line perpendicular to the equator and part of a great circle passing through the North Pole and South Pole.
Synonyms: meridian
- archaiccountableuncountableLength.
His shoulders are remarkably sloping, giving an appearance of great longitude to his neck.
1831, Francis Griffin, “Griffin's Remains”, in The American Quarterly Review, volume 10, page 5041 more example
The floor consists of a corrugated steel section attached by welding to the body longitudes and cross members.
1958 April 28, “Diesel Railbus for British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 276
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny imaginary line perpendicular to the equator and part of a great circle passing through the North Pole and South Pole.
Similar
Also see
Origin
- Latinlongitūdō“length, a measured length”
- Old Frenchlongitude
- Englishlongitude
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French longitude, from Latin longitūdō (“length, a measured length”), from longus (“long”).
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خَطّ طُول
- خَطّ طُول (ḵaṭṭ ṭūl)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Bulgarian географска дължина, меридиан
- географска дължина (geografska dălžina)angular distance
- меридиан (meridian)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Catalan longitud, longitud
- longitudangular distance
- longitudimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Chinese Mandarin 經度 /经度, 經線 /经线
- 經度 /经度 (jīngdù)angular distance
- 經線 /经线 (jīngxiàn)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Czech délka
- délkaangular distance
Danish længdegrad, længdegrad
- længdegradangular distance
- længdegradimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- meridianimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Dutch lengtegraad, lengtegraad
- lengtegraadangular distance
- lengtegraadimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- meridiaanimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Esperanto longitudo, longitudo
- longitudoangular distance
- longitudoimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Finnish pituusaste, pituus
- pituusasteangular distance
- pituusangular distance
- pituuspiiriimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- meridiaaniimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- longitudiimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
French longitude, longitude
- longitudeangular distance
- longitudeimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
German Länge, geographische Länge
- Längeangular distance
- geographische Längeangular distance
- geographische Längeimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- Längengradimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Greek μήκος, γεωγραφικό μήκος
- μήκος (míkos)angular distance
- γεωγραφικό μήκος (geografikó míkos)angular distance
- μήκος (míkos)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- γεωγραφικό μήκος (geografikó míkos)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- παράλληλοι (parálliloi)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Hindi देशांतर, देशान्तर
- देशांतर (deśāntar)angular distance
- देशान्तर (deśāntar)angular distance
- देशांतर (deśāntar)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- देशान्तर (deśāntar)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Hungarian hosszúság
- hosszúságangular distance
Icelandic lengdargráða
- lengdargráðaangular distance
Italian longitudine, longitudine
- longitudineangular distance
- longitudineimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Japanese 経度, 経線
- 経度 (keido)angular distance
- 経線 (keisen)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Korean 경도, 경선
- 경도 (gyeongdo)angular distance
- 경선 (gyeongseon)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Latvian garums
- garumsangular distance
Lithuanian ilguma
- ilgumaangular distance
Malay garisan bujur
- garisan bujurimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Māori ahopou
- ahopouimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Norwegian Bokmål lengdegrad
- lengdegradangular distance
Polish długość, długość geograficzna
- długośćangular distance
- długość geograficznaangular distance
- południkimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Portuguese longitude, longitude
- longitudeangular distance
- longitudeimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Romanian longitudine
- longitudineangular distance
Russian долгота́, меридиа́н
- долгота́ (dolgotá)angular distance
- меридиа́н (meridián)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- долгота́ (dolgotá)imaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Scottish Gaelic domhan-fhad, domhan-fhad
- domhan-fhadangular distance
- domhan-fhadimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Slovak dĺžka
- dĺžkaangular distance
Spanish longitud, longitud
- longitudangular distance
- longitudimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Swahili longitudo
- longitudoangular distance
Swedish longitud, längdgrad
- longitudangular distance
- längdgradangular distance
- geografisk längdimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
- längdgradimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Tagalog antasligid, antasligid
- antasligidangular distance
- antasligidimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Turkish boylam, boylam
- boylamangular distance
- boylamimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Ukrainian довгота́
- довгота́ (dovhotá)angular distance
Vietnamese kinh độ
- kinh độangular distance
Welsh hydred, hydred
- hydredangular distance
- hydredimaginary line through North Pole and South Pole
Cite this entry
APA
longitude. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/longitude
MLA
“longitude.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/longitude. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “longitude,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/longitude.
Source: longitude on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.