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
Lacking watches, many species keep time using an internal system — a set of interacting genes and their protein products that effectively keeps track of a 24-hour period — that is calibrated by sunlight.
—
Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
And for their new study, the researchers used preexisting measurements of water ice abundance within Mercury’s PSRs to better calibrate their analysis of ShadowCam images of lunar PSRs.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Old hands at the magazine long have whispered that the secret of the Oscar party’s success has been its near-perfect red carpet lighting — meticulously calibrated to softly and forgivingly cover up the flaws of any guest lucky enough to be photographed beneath it.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Sowell also supports the city’s pilot program to use artificial intelligence to calibrate the length of traffic signals to move traffic more efficiently.
—Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calibrate
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Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
And for their new study, the researchers used preexisting measurements of water ice abundance within Mercury’s PSRs to better calibrate their analysis of ShadowCam images of lunar PSRs.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Old hands at the magazine long have whispered that the secret of the Oscar party’s success has been its near-perfect red carpet lighting — meticulously calibrated to softly and forgivingly cover up the flaws of any guest lucky enough to be photographed beneath it.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Sowell also supports the city’s pilot program to use artificial intelligence to calibrate the length of traffic signals to move traffic more efficiently.
—Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calibrate
Cite this Entry
“Calibrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calibrate. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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 tire pressure gauge)
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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