body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

Examples of body mass index in a Sentence

A person with a body mass index of more than 30 is considered to be obese.

Recent Examples on the Web

Standing at about 6-foot-3 and weighing 305 pounds, Humphreys would be clinically obese, according to the CDC’s body mass index calculator. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

Apovian said Eli Lilly appears to be positioning the drug strategically for people with severe obesity, or a body mass index above 35 or 40. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025

Other traits like height, body mass index, musical ability, and higher IQ points are also among the offerings at certain firms. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025

The risk remained even after the team controlled for other factors that may increase the risk of sleep apnea or Parkinson's disease including high body mass index, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and traumatic brain injuries. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

Medical Definition

body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

a body mass index in adults of 25 to 29.9 is considered an indication of overweight, and 30 or more an indication of obesity

—abbreviation BMI

called also Quetelet index