benchmark

1 of 2

noun

bench·​mark ˈbench-ˌmärk 

1

a

: something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged

a stock whose performance is a benchmark against which other stocks can be measured

b

: a point of reference from which measurements may be made

c

: a standardized problem or test that serves as a basis for evaluation or comparison (as of computer system performance)

2

usually bench mark : a mark on a permanent object (such as a concrete post set into the ground) indicating elevation and serving as a reference in topographic surveys and tidal observations

benchmark

2 of 2

verb

benchmarked; benchmarking; benchmarks

transitive verb

business : to study (something, such as a competitor's product or business practices) in order to improve the performance of one's own company

Synonyms of benchmark

Noun

• standard
• criterion

Examples of benchmark in a Sentence

Noun

a stock whose performance is a benchmark against which other stocks can be measured

this prize-winning biography will be the benchmark against which all others will be judged in future years

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The unexpected move comes just days after Anthropic announced Fable 5 and Mythos 5, two powerful models that the company touted as state-of-the-art across a number of different industry benchmarks. —Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 13 June 2026

These units completed more than 500 full discharge cycles while maintaining over 80% of their original storage capacity, which provides an initial benchmark for the operational lifespan of the chemistry. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026

Verb

The Problem with Benchmarking Most large organizations benchmark themselves against peers. —Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

The company benchmarks its internal reviews against an external index based on Great Place to Work’s global survey data. —Alice Williams, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for benchmark

• ballpark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• landmark
• monarch
• postmark
• remark
• skylark
• tetrarch

Kids Definition

benchmark

noun

1

usually bench mark : a mark on a permanent object indicating elevation and serving as a reference in geological surveys

2

: something (as a test) that can be used as a standard to check other things (as computer programs) against