calibrate
verb
cal·i·brate
ˈka-lə-ˌbrāt 
calibrated; calibrating
1
: to ascertain the caliber of (something)
2
: to determine, rectify, or mark the graduations of (something, such as a thermometer tube)
3
: to standardize (something, such as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors
4
: to adjust precisely for a particular function
calibrate a thermometer
5
: to measure precisely
carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine
especially
: to measure against a standard
Examples of calibrate in a Sentence
carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine
Recent Examples on the Web
Not only have the powers-that-be instituted new rules to speed up the game, but teams have introduced sophisticated new metrics to help fans calibrate athletic performance.
—
Joe Queenan, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2023
So there was a lot of trial and error for calibrating what, specifically, best served the story.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2023
Every measurement on every instrument has some margin of error, which is why a huge amount of scientific work involves calibrating instruments and working with uncertainty.
—Seth Fletcher, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2023
The two cameras have to be precisely calibrated, which is tricky to do on a vibrating car exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Aug. 2023
When the scares do hit, they’re perfectly calibrated.
—Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
But that fight was so destructive and costly that, ever since, each has sought to deter the other from dangerous escalation, while carefully calibrating its own moves.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2023
In traditional artillery, explosive charges are loaded before the artillery round, allowing the crew to calibrate range on the fly.
—Kelsey D. Atherton, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023
Just to show how strange the pre-test ban treaty world was, the US Atomic Energy Commission set off a smaller (1-1.2 megaton, or 12-15 times larger than Long Shot) earlier to calibrate their sensors for the larger blast to come.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
Joe Queenan, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2023
So there was a lot of trial and error for calibrating what, specifically, best served the story.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2023
Every measurement on every instrument has some margin of error, which is why a huge amount of scientific work involves calibrating instruments and working with uncertainty.
—Seth Fletcher, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2023
The two cameras have to be precisely calibrated, which is tricky to do on a vibrating car exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Aug. 2023
When the scares do hit, they’re perfectly calibrated.
—Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
But that fight was so destructive and costly that, ever since, each has sought to deter the other from dangerous escalation, while carefully calibrating its own moves.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2023
In traditional artillery, explosive charges are loaded before the artillery round, allowing the crew to calibrate range on the fly.
—Kelsey D. Atherton, Popular Science, 6 Sep. 2023
Just to show how strange the pre-test ban treaty world was, the US Atomic Energy Commission set off a smaller (1-1.2 megaton, or 12-15 times larger than Long Shot) earlier to calibrate their sensors for the larger blast to come.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calibrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
caliber + -ate entry 4, perhaps after French calibrer
First Known Use
1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near calibrate
Cite this Entry
“Calibrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calibrate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
calibrate
verb
cal·i·brate
ˈkal-ə-ˌbrāt
calibrated; calibrating
1
: to measure the caliber of
2
a
: to determine, correct, or put the measuring marks on (as a thermometer tube)
b
: make standard (as a measuring instrument) by finding out and correcting for the differences from an accepted or ideal value
calibration
noun
ˌkal-ə-ˈbrā-shən
Medical Definition
calibrate
transitive verb
cal·i·brate
ˈkal-ə-ˌbrāt
calibrated; calibrating
1
: to ascertain the caliber of (as a thermometer tube)
2
: to determine, rectify, or mark the graduations of (as a thermometer tube)
3
: to standardize (as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors
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