caliber

noun cal·i·ber \ ˈka-lə-bər , British also kə-ˈlē- \

variants: or calibre

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: caliber in a Sentence

Definition of caliber

1 a : degree of mental capacity or moral quality

teachers of high caliber

b : degree of excellence or importance

the caliber of instruction

2 a : 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

See caliber defined for English-language learners

See caliber defined for kids

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 of caliber from the Web

Brad Brach, despite a few rocky save situations, has value as an All-Star-caliber setup man.

— peter schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Schmuck: If Duquette is ready to focus on future and there's significant interest in Machado, what's the Orioles' holdup?," 13 June 2018
Police recovered marijuana, crack cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy, Adderall, Xanax, cash, ammunition and a loaded .22 caliber revolver, according to the statement.

— frank abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "2 charged after drugs and gun seized from Zion home, police say," 11 June 2018
There’s pretty much zero precedent for a player of his caliber joining up with a team like that.

— nathaniel friedman, GQ, "Kevin Durant Is in a Tricky Spot," 9 June 2018
Replacing a player of his caliber will be tough, cornerback Sam Beal, who was an all-conference selection, should help the secondary.

— matt murschel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Western Michigan faces tough schedule, is No 82 in 2018 preseason college football rankings," 6 June 2018
The shooter in that case was a 17-year-old junior, armed with a shotgun and .38 caliber revolver.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "An NC teen planned to stop a school shooter. He got arrested instead.," 31 May 2018
Even players of his caliber need the right help to win titles: Jordan needed Pippen; James, Irving or Wade.

— robert o'connell, The Atlantic, "LeBron James and the Championship Question," 30 May 2018
Police said suspect Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, opened fire with a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver in an art complex located at the rear of the school around 7:30 a.m. Friday.

— rick jervis, USA TODAY, "One Santa Fe student's struggle to cope: Church, baking, friends — and a plea to arm teachers," 23 May 2018
Solano County prosecutors accused Allen of using a .22 caliber revolver to assault and threaten the victim during the Halloween incident.

— megan cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, "Fairfield parents accused of abusing 10 kids had history of domestic violence," 15 May 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of caliber

Medieval French calibre, from Old Italian calibro, from Arabic qālib shoemaker's last

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1588

in the meaning defined at sense 2b

See Words from the same year

caliber Synonyms

Synonyms

class, grade, quality, rate;

Related Words

hallmark;

mark;

footing, place, position, rank, standing, stature, status;

benchmark, criterion, measure, par, standard, touchstone, yardstick;

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

automatic, carbine, cudgel, muzzle, rapier

CALIBER Defined for English Language Learners

caliber

noun

Definition of caliber for English Language Learners

: level of excellence, skill, etc.
: a measurement of the width of a bullet or a gun barrel

CALIBER Defined for Kids

caliber

noun cal·i·ber

variants: or calibre \ˈka-lə-bər\

Definition of caliber for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

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

Learn More about caliber

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for caliber Spanish Central: Translation of caliber Nglish: Translation of caliber for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of caliber for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caliber

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caliber

Definition of caliber

Examples of caliber in a Sentence

Recent Examples of caliber from the Web

Origin and Etymology of caliber

caliber Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Weapons and Explosives Terms

CALIBER Defined for English Language Learners

caliber

Definition of caliber for English Language Learners

CALIBER Defined for Kids

caliber

Definition of caliber for Students

Medical Dictionary

caliber

medical Definition of caliber

Learn More about caliber

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