ALTITUDE Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'altitude' contrast with its synonyms?

The words elevation and height are common synonyms of altitude . While all three words mean "vertical distance either between the top and bottom of something or between a base and something above it," altitude and elevation apply to height as measured by angular measurement or atmospheric pressure; altitude is preferable when referring to vertical distance above the surface of the earth or above sea level; elevation is used especially in reference to vertical height on land. // fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters // Denver is a city with a high elevation

Q: When is 'height' a more appropriate choice than 'altitude'?

In some situations, the words height and altitude are roughly equivalent. However, height refers to something measured vertically whether high or low. // a wall two meters in height

altitude

noun

ˈal-tə-ˌtüd

Definition of altitude

as in elevation

the distance of something or someone from bottom to top the altitude of the highest mountain in the U.S. is only about two thirds that of the highest mountain in the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in hill

usually altitudes plural an area of high ground the air is thinner at higher altitudes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun altitude contrast with its synonyms?

The words elevation and height are common synonyms of altitude. While all three words mean "vertical distance either between the top and bottom of something or between a base and something above it," altitude and elevation apply to height as measured by angular measurement or atmospheric pressure; altitude is preferable when referring to vertical distance above the surface of the earth or above sea level; elevation is used especially in reference to vertical height on land.

fly at an altitude of 10,000 meters

Denver is a city with a high elevation

When is height a more appropriate choice than altitude?

In some situations, the words height and altitude are roughly equivalent. However, height refers to something measured vertically whether high or low.

a wall two meters in height

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of altitude Beijing aims to transform the region into a high-altitude green energy powerhouse, with projects that include a $168 billion megadam, currently under construction, that could stretch the limits of what human engineering has achieved. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Australia clung to its final six point margin for the last 27 minutes of the match when tiredness induced by altitude in the mountainous venue saw some sloppiness and imprecision invade its game. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 These trails form when aircraft engine emissions encounter extremely cold air found at high altitudes, causing tiny ice particles to develop. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026 Many of the missing are Hindu pilgrims, who were journeying to Kailash Mansarovar, a high-altitude site in Tibet revered by Hindus and Buddhists. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for altitude

Recent Examples of Synonyms for altitude

Noun

Her minimalist black sandal added a touch of elevation and formality to her shorts-and-T combo.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026
Curiosity has climbed through a vertical half-mile (1 kilometer) of rock layers so far, finding clay-rich, mudstone layers that give way at higher elevations to younger sandstones full of salty minerals.

— Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of elevation

Noun

Instead, he’s spent August anxiously watching the orange skies from his house in the northern Nevada hills through two consecutive and adjacent wild-land fires, the Bug and Hawk Fires.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
He was filled with ambition to see more of the country, write a spy thriller and literally climb more hills.

— Andrea Javor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hill

Noun

The zoning change would be necessary to build a development of that scale because local zoning guidelines for the downtown area cap building heights at four stories.

— Alexandra Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Now, 15 years later, Cook has catapulted the company to stratospheric heights by forging his own path.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of height

Browse Nearby Words

altiplanos

altitude

altitudes

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Style

“Altitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altitude. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of altitude

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