Definition
The horizontal angle, measured clockwise from true north, between true north and the direction to an object or point as seen from the observer's position. Expressed in degrees from 000° to 359°.
Plain English
The direction from you to something else, measured in degrees clockwise starting from true north (the geographic North Pole), not magnetic north.
Context Anchor
Seen in navigation planning, chart work, and any discussion that separates directions based on true north from directions based on a magnetic compass.
Derivation
‘Bearing’ comes from the Old English ‘beran’, to carry or to direct. In navigation it carries the sense of ‘the direction in which something lies.’ ‘True’ here points to true north — the geographic pole — to distinguish it from magnetic bearings, which are referenced to the magnetic pole.
Why Pilots Care
Allows accurate course plotting that accounts for magnetic variation when converting to a compass heading.
Intuition Check
True does not mean “better” or “more accurate” here. It means the bearing is measured from true north, not magnetic north.
Example Sentence 1
The chart showed the airport at a true bearing of 045° from the VOR.
Example Sentence 2
Plotting the true bearing from the VOR on the chart gave the exact direction over the ground.