Origin: Latin suffix -ude
Altitude has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
the perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the opposite vertex (or side if parallel)
"The altitude of an equilateral triangle is the line segment drawn perpendicularly from its top vertex down to the midpoint of the bottom side."
The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.
"The pilot checked the altitude to ensure they were flying at a safe distance above sea level."
In plain English: Altitude is how high something is above sea level, usually measured for airplanes or mountains.
"The airplane climbed to an altitude where we could see the entire city below us."
Usage: Use altitude to describe vertical distance above mean sea level rather than elevation relative to the ground beneath you. This term is standard in aviation and meteorology when precise measurements from a fixed baseline are required.
The word altitude comes from the Latin altitūdō, which means "height." This Latin term itself is derived from altus, meaning "high."