criterium

noun

cri·​te·​ri·​um krī-ˈtir-ē-əm How to pronounce criterium (audio) krē-ter-ˈyȯm How to pronounce criterium (audio)
: a bicycle race of a specified number of laps on a closed course over public roads closed to normal traffic

Examples of criterium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tells the story of the 2023 season of the American Criterium Cup — a series comprised of ten of America’s most beloved criterium races. Michelle Jenkins, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2024 Along with co-founders Mulugheta, Randall Clark and Mark Wilkins, the NCL wants to become an organizer for criterium bike races in America. Safid Deen, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2023 This year, the CCAP summer criterium series ran from May until last week, weather permitting, on Tuesday nights. Sofie Brandt, courant.com, 23 Aug. 2021 Races start at 9:25 a.m., with the 0.9-mile criterium course looping through the Old Town North neighborhood, the race website said. chicagotribune.com, 10 July 2021 The first stage was a time trial at Moose Run on June 14, the second was a hill climb on Potter Drive on June 16, the third was a criterium race at Gruening Middle School on the June 21, and the final stage was a road race on Ruff Road on JBER on June 23. Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 29 June 2022 Several schools have met the criterium to make masks optional; Hopkinton High School, which has a vaccination rate over 95%, became the first to do so last week, after its district's school committee narrowly voted to approve a three-week, mask-free trial. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2021 And, the stars of the Tour and Tour Femmes just completed an exhibition-style event of this nature at the Roosendaal criterium in the Netherlands. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 5 Aug. 2022 The criterium, or crit race, is the sixth race in a 10-part nationwide series for the American Criterium Cup. Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'criterium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French critérium, "competition," literally, "criterion," borrowed from Late Latin critērium, borrowed from Greek kritḗrion criterion

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of criterium was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near criterium

Cite this Entry

“Criterium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criterium. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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