perimeter
noun
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Parameter vs. Perimeter
It's very easy to confuse parameter with perimeter. Not only do the two words sound the same, they both connote a boundary or limit.
When parameter is used to mean "a boundary or limit," it is usually in its plural form, and often as the object of a preposition such as within or beyond:
Let's face it, managing weight loss or maintenance can be trying enough within the parameters of a daily routine.
Geoff Kerr, Weight Watchers, November 1991Though candor sometimes encourages Bruno to "stray beyond the parameters of good taste," his interaction with Lydia is always convincingly portrayed as a loving, tender relationship.
Ron Charles, The Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2011
In geometry, perimeter refers to the boundary of a closed plane figure. You might remember calculating perimeters in school. If each side of an equilateral triangle measures 9 feet, then the perimeter of the triangle measures 27 feet. In more general use, perimeter describes an outer stretch, as in "The college president lived in a house on the perimeter of the campus."
Parameter originally had a meaning pertaining to mathematics as well. The dictionary defines it as "an arbitrary constant whose value characterizes a member of a system (as a family of curves); also : a quantity (as a mean or variance) that describes a statistical population" as well as "an independent variable used to express the coordinates of a variable point and functions of them."
Some twentieth-century usage commentators objected to the use of a scientific-sounding word like parameter in general contexts (as in the examples above), especially to mean "a limit or boundary," theorizing that perimeter must have been what the speaker or writer intended.
However, perimeter was not often used in the phrasings that parameter is used in (that is, as the object of within or beyond) until much later. In fact, a word such as bounds or range or confines often serves as a more appropriate equivalent for parameter than the marginal connotations of perimeter:
But a true novel is an extended piece of fiction: Length is clearly one of its parameters.
Anthony Burgess, The New York Times Book Review, 5 Feb. 1984Shields will then subsume that request in the overall City operating budget that he will recommend to the City Council in mid-March, and the Council will make its final decisions on the parameters of the budget, including any tax increases or cuts, by the end of April.
Nicholas F. Benton, The Falls Church News Press, 6 Jan. 2016
Did you know?
The perimeter of a prison is ringed with high walls and watchtowers, and the entire perimeter of Australia is bounded by water. In geometry, you may be asked to calculate the perimeter of various geometrical shapes. In basketball, the perimeter is the area beyond the free-throw circle; a "perimeter player" tends to stay outside that circle. Try not to confuse this word with parameter, which usually means a rule or limit that controls what something is or how it can be done.
Synonyms
Examples of perimeter in a Sentence
Patrick Kingsley Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Fort Worth police located the vehicle near a home on Fielder Road near I-30 and established a perimeter, trying to locate the suspect inside the house, according to the release.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2024
Police established a perimeter around Moyer's home and communicated with him through a notebook, the complaint said.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
The first half played out in five acts: — Duquesne’s swarming perimeter defense held the Cougars without a point for five minutes.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
To start, the length makes this light suitable for larger areas such as room perimeters, hallways and stairways.
—Pamela Porter, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Mar. 2024
To survive, the city is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to create perimeter protection around the central peninsula, where the historic district is.
—Bill Kearney, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Sheriff's deputies found Smith walking and set up a perimeter in a nearby neighborhood, according to Allen.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Authorities from multiple agencies responded to the casino around 7:30 p.m.
Dearborn County Sheriff Shane McHenry said that police set up a perimeter around the casino and apprehended an armed male suspect.
—Alexis Martin and Mildred Fallen, The Enquirer, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perimeter.' 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 perimeter
Cite this Entry
“Perimeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perimeter. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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