Definition of elevationnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun elevation contrast with its synonyms?

The words altitude and height are common synonyms of elevation. 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 can height be used instead of elevation?

The words height and elevation can be used in similar contexts, but 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 elevation The county covers 948 square miles of broken, hilly land with sandy, gray, and black soils; elevations range between 800 to 1,450 feet above sea level, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Bazzell’s focus on expansion pertains to Unrivaled’s tour model and the elevation of the overall experience for fans and players. Annie Costabile, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 As glaciers turn to water and create massive lakes in high mountain elevations, summertime melting can release these lakes downstream. Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 Bred at the organization’s Beckman Center for Conservation Research, the tiny, speckled frogs have been reintroduced at several different high-elevation mountain habitats, including Bluff Lake in the Big Bear Valley. Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elevation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elevation
Noun
  • This shift means emotional intelligence (EI) is no longer just for promotions but is becoming an essential entry requirement, as AI handles technical tasks.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • DyAnnah Butler’s promotion from diverse learning coordinator at the high school’s Washington campus to assistant principal at the district’s Alternative Optional Education Center (AOEC) was also unanimously approved by the board.
    Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
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
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
Noun
  • The exemption had allowed the company to ship small parcels directly to its customers tariff free, a model that, combined with its Chinese supply chain, contributed to its rapid ascent.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Following Parton’s death, the collection rockets all the way to first place with only a few days of solid tracking activity behind its ascent.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The grounds crew spent a few minutes working on the mound before the bottom of the fourth.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ohtani had last thrown off the mound six days prior, in a live batting practice session last Saturday.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Her relationship with the region and the Sherpa community began through her early work as a filmmaker in high-altitude environments and has shaped some of the defining projects of her career.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Up there, high-altitude winds take over, transporting the smoke thousands of miles across the continent.
    Michael A. Robinson, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • One specific area that is actively being explored is the potential of using bacteriophages, which are originally viral in nature, in conjunction with advancements in AI to help detect, track and destroy resistant bacteria forms.
    Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The advanced weapon features AV’s 20kW-class LOCUST LWS integrated on the General Motors Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) platform–a significant advancement in mobile, frontline C-UAS capabilities.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Chinese state news agency Xinhua, citing the country’s water resources ministry, said a new lake formed after Wednesday’s floods high in the mountains had largely drained.
    Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Some thirty thousand tourists visited annually to soak in the mountain’s mineral springs and sip from a geyser of warm fizzy water.
    Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Elevation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elevation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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