A brother of the astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle and a student of the astronomer Jean-Dominique Cassini, Delisle learned to fix accurate positions by astronomical observation. The accuracy of his continental outlines and his reduction of gross errors in determining lines of longitude were considerable improvements over earlier maps. His earliest works, published in 1700, were a pair of globes (terrestrial and celestial), maps of the continents, and a world map in hemispheres. He prepared about 100 maps and wrote on mensuration and ancient geography. In 1718 he was the first to become chief geographer to the king.