easy
The prime meridian is at zero degrees longitude.
What does Longitude mean?
Longitude measures how far east or west a place is from the prime meridian.
Dictionary definition
Angular distance east or west of a chosen zero meridian, usually Earth’s prime meridian, measured in degrees; in astronomy, angular position east or west along a celestial reference system.
Example sentences
Longitude in a sentence
easy
The map labels the island at 64 degrees west longitude.
medium
Latitude and longitude form a coordinate pair for the campsite.
medium
Lines of longitude meet at the North and South poles.
hard
The east-west distance between longitude lines becomes smaller toward the poles.
hard
Astronomers use celestial longitude within a chosen sky-coordinate system.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Longitude
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does geographic longitude measure?
Longitude uses a zero meridian as its reference and is measured east or west in degrees.
Practice 2
Which statement about longitude lines is accurate?
Meridians run north-south around Earth while measuring east-west position.
Practice 3
How do latitude and longitude work together?
Latitude supplies north-south position and longitude supplies east-west position.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Longitude
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Sounds like
lahn · jih · tood · strongest beat: lahn
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordLongitude.
Partnoun.
MeaningLongitude means Longitude measures how far east or west a place is from the prime meridian.
ExampleExample: The prime meridian is at zero degrees longitude.
Word breakdown
3 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- lahn · jih · tood
- Strongest beat
- lahn
- Ending
- tood
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on lahn.
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Synonym review
Does Longitude have synonyms?
Longitude has no useful direct synonym in general English. East-west position explains its geographic meaning, while coordinate and meridian name related concepts rather than interchangeable words.
Antonym review
Does Longitude have an opposite?
Longitude has no direct opposite. Latitude is the complementary north-south coordinate, not an opposite; east and west are the two directions in which longitude is measured.
Word family
Longitude word family
Base word
longitude
noun
longitudes
More than one longitude value or longitude-marked position.
adjective
longitudinal
Relating to longitude or running lengthwise; in research, it can also describe a study conducted over time.
adverb
longitudinally
By longitude, lengthwise, or over time, depending on context.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Longitude
Hint for students
Look for degrees east or west, the prime meridian, meridians, or a coordinate paired with latitude.
Common mix-up
Longitude lines run north-south but measure east-west position. They are not parallel: they are widest apart at the equator and meet at the poles.
Try it in class or at home
Students use a gridded map to identify the latitude and longitude of four points, saying each direction aloud and checking that longitude is written east or west.
Teacher prompt
Trace one meridian from pole to pole, then ask why it runs north-south while its longitude value measures east or west of the prime meridian.
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