A to Z GIS | Explore this related guide, featuring updated terms and graphics and developed in coordination with Esri’s GIS Dictionary team.
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dimension
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[mathematics]
A length of a certain distance and bearing.
[mathematics]
The area over which an entity extends.
[spatial analysis]
A measure of spatial extent, especially width, height, or length. A point has zero dimensions, a line has one dimension, a plane or polygon has two dimensions, and a feature with volume has three dimensions.
[physics]
The number of axes that are essential to the existence of an entity in space. For example, the identity of a location on a plane requires two axes; therefore, a plane exists in the second dimension, and an entity with two axes, or dimensions, may be uniquely identified as a plane.
