(DoD, NATO) In cartography, the annual change in direction of the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field.
(DoD, NATO) In navigation, at a given place and time, the horizontal angle between the true north and magnetic north measured east or west according to whether magnetic north lies east or west of true north. See also magnetic declination.
(DoD, NATO) In navigation, at a given place and time, the horizontal angle between the true north and magnetic north measured east or west according to whether magnetic north lies east or west of true north. See also magnetic declination.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). magnetic variation. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/magnetic_variation/definitions/1962616 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "magnetic variation" http://smartdefine.org/magnetic_variation/definitions/1962616 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, magnetic variation, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/magnetic_variation/definitions/1962616>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "magnetic variation" 4 April 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/magnetic_variation/definitions/1962616> |