Definition of "altitude" []

• The height of a thing above a reference level, especially above sea level or above the earth's surface. See Synonyms at elevation. (noun)
• A high location or area. (noun)
• Astronomy The angular distance of a celestial object above the horizon. (noun)
• Mathematics The perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the opposite vertex, parallel side, or parallel surface. (noun)
• High position or rank. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The high desert plains are beautiful and have a more temperate climate, but for some people, the altitude is a health problem."
• "If you look at a place at high altitude you may want to consider renting first (instead of buying) just in case the altitude is a problem."
• "The folly in expecting students to sustain a school's academic reputation is, sadly, truth at most lower levels of education, where, as previously mentioned, socioeconomic altitude translates to level of success."