SINCE 1828
caliber
noun
cal·i·ber
| \ ˈka-lə-bər
, British also kə-ˈlē-\
, British also kə-ˈlē-\
variants:
or calibre
Definition of caliber
1a
: degree of mental capacity or moral quality
teachers of high caliber
b
: degree of excellence or importance
the caliber of instruction
2a
: the diameter of a bullet or other projectile
b
: the diameter of a bore of a gun usually expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction
.32 caliber
3
: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body
especially
: the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder
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Examples of caliber in a Sentence
I was impressed by the high caliber of the team's work.
musicians of the highest caliber perform at that concert hall
Recent Examples on the Web
Stars of this caliber might shy away from press in an effort to control their public narrative. — Sonia Rao, Washington Post, "Madonna’s furious response to her New York Times profile raises questions about what stars expect from journalists," 8 June 2019 Musicians of this caliber are said to have achieved metaphorical immortality. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, "Dr. John’s Reverent Subversion of New Orleans Cliché," 7 June 2019 Stars of this caliber might shy away from press in an effort to control their public narrative. — Sonia Rao, Houston Chronicle, "Madonna’s furious response to her New York Times profile raises questions about what stars expect from journalists," 7 June 2019 That a woman of this caliber, this fortitude, this integrity, and this intelligence might have a shot at becoming our leader. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "So, Kirsten Gillibrand and Connie Britton Have Quietly Been BFFs for Years," 5 Apr. 2019 Yes, Gonzaga has two NBA-caliber big men in Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke, along with the nation’s top-scoring offense and a coach who has taken the exact opposite career path as Beard. — Eddie Pells, The Seattle Times, "Texas Tech’s coach spends life on edge, as an underdog," 29 Mar. 2019 Kenny admits he is not yet the caliber football player that Tyrone became in high school. — Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star, "Decatur Central's Kenny Tracy does not have to choose between basketball and football — yet," 9 July 2018 At the end of the day, Houston is still bringing back an All-NBA caliber guard who keeps the team in title contention. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "Grades: Chris Paul Signs Massive Four-Year Max Deal to Return to Rockets," 1 July 2018 Based on the same wheelbase and component set as the 7 Series executive saloon, the 640xi GT has NBA-caliber front legroom (41.4 inches) and a lofty 38.5 inches of head room in the rear, even with the sloping roofline and panoramic sunroof. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2018 BMW 640xi GT: A High-Riding, Roomy Sedan That’s Fun to Drive," 20 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caliber.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for caliber
caliber
noun
English Language Learners Definition of caliber
: level of excellence, skill, etc.
: a measurement of the width of a bullet or a gun barrel
See the full definition for caliber in the English Language Learners Dictionary
caliber
noun
cal·i·ber
variants:
or calibre \ ˈka-lə-bər \
Kids Definition of caliber
1
: level of excellence, skill, or importance
She is a writer of the highest caliber.
2
: the diameter of a bullet or of the hole in the barrel of a gun
caliber
noun
cal·i·ber
variants:
or chiefly British calibre \ ˈkal-ə-bər, British also kə-ˈlē- \
Medical Definition of caliber
: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body
especially
: the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder
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