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Glite Dictionary
magnetic declination

magnetic declination

6.7
The angle between the direction a compass points and true north at a place
  • noun
  • /mæɡˈnɛtɪk dɪˈklɪneɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : declinación magnética
  • The magnetic declination at this location is about 5 degrees east of true north.

Examples

  • Navigators must correct for magnetic declination when charting their course.

  • Changes in magnetic declination over time can affect compass readings.

  • The magnetic declination varies by location.

  • Understanding magnetic declination is crucial for accurate navigation.

  • When navigating, it is essential to account for magnetic declination to ensure accurate direction.

  • The magnetic declination varies by location and affects how a compass aligns with true north.

  • Before using the map, we checked the magnetic declination to adjust our compass readings.

Synonyms

variation
vsmagnetic declination
  • Specialized
3 7.4

The angle between magnetic north and true north used in navigation

is identical in meaning but is the shorter more general label
magnetic variation
vsmagnetic declination
  • Specialized
1 6.8

Angle between the north shown by a compass and true north at a place used for navigation

is identical in meaning but appears more in map reading contexts

Surface Forms

magnetic declination singular
magnetic declinations plural

Morphology

magnetic + declination

The phrase is compositionally built: 'declination' denotes an angular distance and 'magnetic' specifies that the angle concerns Earth's magnetic field, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to the angular difference involving magnetic north. Although somewhat technical, the modifier+noun structure is regular and cross-linguistically transparent, so the meaning is derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Magnetic declination comes from the simple image of a compass needle pointing to magnetic north while a map shows true 'north'. The word declination means the small 'tilt' or angle between them, so the term means the angle you must correct for when reading a compass.