Illustration of longitude
- hemisphere marked with meridians of longitude
longitude
noun
lon·gi·tude
ˈlän-jə-ˌtüd 
-ˌtyüd,
British also ˈläŋ-gə-
1
a
: angular distance measured on a great circle of reference from the intersection of the adopted zero meridian with this reference circle to the similar intersection of the meridian passing through the object
b
: the arc or portion of the earth's equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the prime meridian and expressed either in degrees or in time
2
archaic
: long duration
Did you know?
The imaginary (but very important) lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole. Each is identified by the number of degrees it lies east or west of the so-called prime meridian in Greenwich, England (part of London). A circle is divided into 360°; so, for example, the longitude of the Egyptian city of Cairo is about 31°E—that is, about 31° east of London. The "long" sense of the root may be easier to see in some uses of the adjective longitudinal: A longitudinal study is a research study that follows its subjects over many long years, and a longitudinal engine is one that drives a crankshaft that runs lengthwise under a vehicle (as in rear-wheel-drive cars) rather than crosswise.
Examples of longitude in a Sentence
a map of the world showing lines of latitude and longitude
calculating the longitudes of different places
The regions are on roughly the same longitude.
Recent Examples on the Web
But unlike points on a map, these coordinates only refer to each other — not to any underlying territory, the way latitude and longitude numbers indicate specific spots on Earth.
—
John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024
Among the dozens of fitness features added by WatchOS 11 are automatic track running detection, live activity cycling on an iPhone, stroke and interval tracking while swimming, and a compass app with latitude, longitude, altitude, and waypoints.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2024
That’s because relatively cool waters, an abundance of Saharan dust or dry air all tend to limit early-season storm activity anywhere east of the longitude of places such as the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica, Klotzbach said.
—Scott Dance, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Southern comfort food blended with tastes of other longitudes and latitudes summarizes the UBK menu: gumbo to salmon, surf 'n' turf pasta to honey garlic pork chops, and gumbo worthy to stand with anything from south Louisiana.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for longitude 
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John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024
Among the dozens of fitness features added by WatchOS 11 are automatic track running detection, live activity cycling on an iPhone, stroke and interval tracking while swimming, and a compass app with latitude, longitude, altitude, and waypoints.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2024
That’s because relatively cool waters, an abundance of Saharan dust or dry air all tend to limit early-season storm activity anywhere east of the longitude of places such as the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica, Klotzbach said.
—Scott Dance, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Southern comfort food blended with tastes of other longitudes and latitudes summarizes the UBK menu: gumbo to salmon, surf 'n' turf pasta to honey garlic pork chops, and gumbo worthy to stand with anything from south Louisiana.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for longitude
Dictionary Entries Near longitude
Cite this Entry
“Longitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longitude. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
longitude
noun
lon·gi·tude
ˈlän-jə-ˌt(y)üd
: distance measured by degrees or time east or west from the prime meridian
the longitude of New York is 74 degrees or about five hours west of Greenwich
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