the angular distance between an imaginary line around a heavenly body parallel to its equator and the equator itself
"The astronomer calculated the latitude of the star by measuring its angular distance from Earth's equatorial plane."
freedom from normal restraints in conduct
"the new freedom in movies and novels"
"allowed his children considerable latitude in how they spent their money"
an imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator
"The latitude of 45 degrees north marks a specific imaginary line circling the globe parallel to the equator."
scope for freedom of e.g. action or thought; freedom from restriction
"The new policy gave teachers more latitude in how they designed their lesson plans."
The angular distance north or south from a planet's equator, measured along the meridian of that particular point.
"The latitude of the ship was determined by measuring its angular distance north from the oceanic equator along the local meridian."
In plain English: Latitude is how far north or south you are from the middle line around Earth called the equator.
"The new policy gave employees more latitude in how they schedule their workdays."
Usage: In everyday conversation, latitude refers to freedom within limits rather than its astronomical definition as an angular measurement. Use this word when discussing flexibility in rules or plans, not for describing geographic coordinates on a map.
The word entered Middle English from the Old French latitude, which came from the Latin latitūdō meaning "breadth" or "width." This Latin term derives from lātus, an older form of stlātus, describing something that is broad or wide.