noun
longitude
LOND-zhiht-shood
noun
1
The angular distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.
"Sailors once struggled to calculate longitude accurately at sea."
"The app shows your exact latitude and longitude."
How to Use Longitude
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA measurement used with latitude to pinpoint an exact location on Earth, based on distance east or west.
Common mistake
Longitude lines run north-south (measuring east-west position); don't mix it up with latitude, which measures north-south position.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
latitude and longitude
degrees of longitude
line of longitude
Word Forms
longitudes plural
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Sailors once struggled to calculate _____ accurately at sea.
Etymology
From Old French longitude, from Latin longitudo ("length"), from longus ("long").