Illustration of azimuth
- 1 horizon
- 2 zenith
- 3 star
- 4 meridian
- 5 vertical circle
- 6 azimuth
- 7 observer
1
: an arc of the horizon measured between a fixed point (such as true north) and the vertical circle passing through the center of an object usually in astronomy and navigation clockwise from the north point through 360 degrees
2
: horizontal direction expressed as the angular distance between the direction of a fixed point (such as the observer's heading) and the direction of the object
Examples of azimuth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On June 21, the sun sets at an azimuth of 302 degrees or 32 degrees north of due west.
—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
The azimuth changes minute by minute, varying by as much as 9 degrees during Wednesday’s two-hour window.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 Apr. 2026
The company says the longer, hybrid tonearm supports full adjustability for both azimuth and vertical tracking angle (VTA) and reduces distortion, especially on inner grooves.
—
Brad Moon,
Forbes.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the new Polarstern will be equipped with two 160 PULL ARC LM azimuth propulsion systems, commonly known as rotating propeller nacelles.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for azimuth
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.
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
The azimuth changes minute by minute, varying by as much as 9 degrees during Wednesday’s two-hour window.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 Apr. 2026
The company says the longer, hybrid tonearm supports full adjustability for both azimuth and vertical tracking angle (VTA) and reduces distortion, especially on inner grooves.
—
Brad Moon,
Forbes.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the new Polarstern will be equipped with two 160 PULL ARC LM azimuth propulsion systems, commonly known as rotating propeller nacelles.
—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for azimuth
Cite this Entry
“Azimuth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/azimuth. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
azimuth
noun
az·i·muth
ˈaz-(ə-)məth 
: horizontal direction of an object from a fixed point expressed as an angle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
