GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Global Positioning System mean? 

• GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (noun)
  The noun GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM has 1 sense:

1. a navigational system involving satellites and computers that can determine the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by computing the time difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver

  Familiarity information: GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A navigational system involving satellites and computers that can determine the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by computing the time difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

Global Positioning System; GPS

Hypernyms ("Global Positioning System" is a kind of...):

navigational system (a system that provides information useful in determining the position and course of a ship or aircraft)

 Context examples 

The magnetic North Pole is currently shifting toward Siberia, forcing the Global Positioning System that underlies modern navigation to update its software sooner than expected.

(Earth's last magnetic field reversal took far longer than once thought, National Science Foundation)

These disturbances were monitored using signals transmitted by the Global Positioning System (GPS) that were received by a science-quality GPS receiver located in a neighboring region to Nepal.

(GPS Data Show How Nepal Quake Disturbed Earth’s Upper Atmosphere, NASA)

The seafloor system is an anchored spar buoy topped by a high precision Global Positioning System.

(Geoscientists develop technology to improve forecasting of earthquakes, tsunamis, National Science Foundation)

Despite being less accurate than scientific-grade equipment, the GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers in a smartphone can detect the permanent ground movement (displacement) caused by fault motion in a large earthquake.

(Crowdsourced Smartphone Data Could Give Advance Notice for People in Quake Zones, JPL)