geodetic survey

noun

: a survey of a large land area in which corrections are made for the curvature of the earth's surface

Examples of geodetic survey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Unlike a traditional survey used to determine property lines or mark the route for a new road, a geodetic survey of a region accounts for the curvature of the Earth and even variations in this curvature. Greg Miller, Smithsonian, 23 Oct. 2019 My father’s military experience with satellites to map a geodetic survey of the Earth’s surface (initially for locating Soviet missile sites) would turn out to be useful for the moon. David A. Taylor, Smithsonian, 9 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'geodetic survey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of geodetic survey was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near geodetic survey

Cite this Entry

“Geodetic survey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geodetic%20survey. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

geodetic survey

noun
geo·​det·​ic survey
ˌjē-ə-ˈdet-ik-
: a survey of a large land area in which corrections are made for the curving of the earth's surface
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!