elevation

The word “elevation” means the height of a place above sea level. In plain terms, how high a place is above sea level, or the act of raising something or someone to a higher position.

“Elevation” is pronounced eh-lih-VAYSHN (/ˌɛlɪˈveɪʃn̩/ in IPA).

Here is “elevation” used in a sentence: “The town sits at an elevation of nearly 2,000 metres.”

The opposite of “elevation” — its antonyms — are disgust, demotion, depression, diminishment and reduction.

“Elevation” is a noun.

The word “elevation” comes from Latin. From Latin ēlevātiō, from elevate plus the noun suffix -ion.

“Elevation” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Elevation” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the height of a place above sea level.

'Elevation' usually describes the height of a fixed point or place above sea level, such as a mountain or town. 'Altitude' more often refers to the height of a moving object, like an aircraft, above the ground or sea level.

'Height' is a general measurement of how tall something is from its base to its top. 'Elevation' specifically measures how high a place or point sits above sea level.

Use 'elevation' for the act of raising something or someone to a higher level or position, often in a formal or figurative sense, as in elevation to a higher rank. 'Promotion' refers more specifically to advancement in a job or organisation.

'Elevation' is commonly followed by 'above', as in 'elevation above sea level', and by 'of' when giving a figure, as in 'an elevation of 300 metres'.