Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English from Old French latitude, from Latin lātitūdō (“breadth, width, latitude”), from lātus (“broad, wide”), from older stlātus.
Noun
latitude (countable and uncountable, plural latitudes)
- (geography) The angular distance north or south from the equator, measured along the meridian of that particular point.
- (geography) An imaginary line (in fact a circle) around the Earth running parallel to the equator.
- (figuratively) The relative freedom from restrictions.
- His parents gave him a great deal of latitude.
- The angular distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic.
- (photography) The extent to which a light-sensitive material can be over- or underexposed and still achieve an acceptable result.
- 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.
Derived terms
- ascending latitude
- circle of latitude
- geographical latitude
- high latitude
- low latitude
Credits
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