1
metrics plural
: a part of prosody that deals with metrical (see metrical sense 1) structure
the analytical study of metric—
T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot2
: a standard of measurement
no metric exists that can be applied directly to happiness—Scientific Monthly
Scientific Monthly3
: a mathematical function that associates a real nonnegative number analogous to distance with each pair of elements in a set such that the number is zero only if the two elements are identical, the number is the same regardless of the order in which the two elements are taken, and the number associated with one pair of elements plus that associated with one member of the pair and a third element is equal to or greater than the number associated with the other member of the pair and the third element
: of, relating to, or using the metric system
a metric study
variants
or -metrical
1
: of, employing, or obtained by (such) a meter
galvanometric
2
: of or relating to (such) an art, process, or science of measuring
geometrical
Did you know?
The metric system was invented in France in the years following the French Revolution, and a version of it is now used in most of the world to measure distance, weight, and volume. Basic metric units include the kilogram (the basic unit of weight), the liter (the basic unit of volume), and of course the meter (the basic unit of length—see below). Metric—or more often metrical—can also refer to the basic underlying rhythm of songs and poetry. So while the scientists' measurements are usually metric, the poets' are usually metrical.
Synonyms
Examples of metric in a Sentence
Noun
according to the usual metrics by which we judge fiction, this novel is an utter failure
Adjective
The metric unit of energy is the “joule.”
Recent Examples on the WebFrancisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Even though the economy’s been performing well by many metrics, Biden’s learning the hard way that good data — no matter how strong — does little to change how people feel about the economy.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
While the Fed officially targets Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation, a separate measure, the Consumer Price Index report released on Wednesday comes out earlier and includes data that feeds into the other metric.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The labor market is roaring ahead, wages are rising and inflation is slowing — all key metrics that economists point to as showing a resilient and strong U.S. economy.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
In its latest annual report, Ballad improved on many quality-of-care metrics over the prior year, including several that the company prioritized, but still fell short on 56 of 75 benchmarks.
—Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Produced in partnership with research advisory firm Oxford Economics, the latest report looks at the impact of travel and tourism on the economy in granular detail across many metrics.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
The committee, chaired by Rep. Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), wants to understand how happiness could be used as a metric to shape public policy in the Golden State.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
To fill in the gaps, Huỳnh and his colleagues used a few different data sources — including demographics, health metrics and surveys on Chicagoans' main sources of drinking water.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
Sean Murphy, Quartz, 5 Apr. 2024
The latter company was far bigger in every metric (annual revenue, for example, was $27 billion vs. $5 billion) except for one: market capitalization, which is the value Wall Street put on each of the company’s shares.
—Paul Bond, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
The researchers used a metric called the supplemental poverty measure, which considers both income and noncash support like food stamps, as well as the local cost of living.
—Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
No pitcher induced a larger percentage of contact on the ground last season than Webb, while only two rated out worse — according to a metric developed by Statcast — at keeping the running game in check.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024
Of course, this metric looks specifically at rich Gen Xers as opposed to the generation as a whole, and this is where the reason for the shift may become clear.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024
Defect Density One metric companies should track when outsourcing developers is their defect density, which represents the number of bugs and errors found per 1,000 lines of code.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
In much the same way, setting performance metric benchmarks is a cornerstone of successful AI integrations.
—Daniel Knauf, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
As a result, when a solar PV cell’s efficiency is rated, a single metric suffices.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Rent the Runway chief executive Jennifer Hyman said that as a result, the platform’s net promotor score (NPS), a metric used to gauge customer loyalty, has reached its highest level in several years.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Even though the economy’s been performing well by many metrics, Biden’s learning the hard way that good data — no matter how strong — does little to change how people feel about the economy.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
While the Fed officially targets Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation, a separate measure, the Consumer Price Index report released on Wednesday comes out earlier and includes data that feeds into the other metric.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The labor market is roaring ahead, wages are rising and inflation is slowing — all key metrics that economists point to as showing a resilient and strong U.S. economy.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
In its latest annual report, Ballad improved on many quality-of-care metrics over the prior year, including several that the company prioritized, but still fell short on 56 of 75 benchmarks.
—Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Produced in partnership with research advisory firm Oxford Economics, the latest report looks at the impact of travel and tourism on the economy in granular detail across many metrics.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
The committee, chaired by Rep. Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), wants to understand how happiness could be used as a metric to shape public policy in the Golden State.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
To fill in the gaps, Huỳnh and his colleagues used a few different data sources — including demographics, health metrics and surveys on Chicagoans' main sources of drinking water.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
Adjective
If the cash were in various denominations, like $5s, $10s and $20s, the weight of $1 million in cash could be closer to 250 pounds (115 kilograms), which could bring the overall weight of last weekend's haul to a whopping 7,500 pounds (3,400 kilograms), or about 3 1/2 tons (3.18 metric tonnes).
—Sean Murphy, Quartz, 5 Apr. 2024
The latter company was far bigger in every metric (annual revenue, for example, was $27 billion vs. $5 billion) except for one: market capitalization, which is the value Wall Street put on each of the company’s shares.
—Paul Bond, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
The researchers used a metric called the supplemental poverty measure, which considers both income and noncash support like food stamps, as well as the local cost of living.
—Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
No pitcher induced a larger percentage of contact on the ground last season than Webb, while only two rated out worse — according to a metric developed by Statcast — at keeping the running game in check.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024
Of course, this metric looks specifically at rich Gen Xers as opposed to the generation as a whole, and this is where the reason for the shift may become clear.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024
Defect Density One metric companies should track when outsourcing developers is their defect density, which represents the number of bugs and errors found per 1,000 lines of code.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
In much the same way, setting performance metric benchmarks is a cornerstone of successful AI integrations.
—Daniel Knauf, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
As a result, when a solar PV cell’s efficiency is rated, a single metric suffices.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metric.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near metric
Cite this Entry
“Metric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metric. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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