liter

noun

li·​ter ˈlē-tər 

variants or litre

: a metric unit of capacity equal to one cubic decimeter see Metric System Table

Examples of liter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People living in Gaza were already using less than 15 liters before Israel cut off water, electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Carroll said. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023

Folding the rear seats expands cargo capacity to 903 liters (31.9 cubic feet), on par with a Nissan Leaf EV. —IEEE Spectrum, 8 Nov. 2023

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that nursing moms drink 64 to 96 ounces (1.9 to 2.8 liters) of water a day. —Daniel Wolfe, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023

Soda maker cartridges aka carbonating or CO2 cylinders make 60 liters of sparkling water. —Topher Gauk-Roger, Peoplemag, 26 Oct. 2023

Gazans are now living on less than 3 liters of water a day, according to the UN, far below the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) recommended 50 liters as the absolute minimum needed to meet basic needs, including drinking, cooking and hygiene. —Laura Paddison, CNN, 24 Oct. 2023

Water production capacity in the Gaza Strip is at 5 percent of normal levels, according to UNICEF, and about 2.3 million residents are surviving on three liters of water per person per day. —Vivian Yee, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023

Deir al-Balah The average daily water consumption in Rafah in 2021 was 72.6 liters per person, the lowest in all of the Gaza Strip. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 22 Oct. 2023

Chirag Bhakta, director of Food & Water Watch California, noted that hydrogen is water intensive — consuming at least 5,000 liters of water for each megawatt hour — which could pose dangers to California and other states dealing with water supply challenges. —Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

French litre, from Medieval Latin litra, a measure, from Greek, a weight

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

liter

noun

li·​ter

variants or litre

ˈlēt-ər

: a metric unit of capacity equal to one cubic decimeter see metric system

Medical Definition

liter

noun

li·​ter

variants or chiefly British litre

ˈlēt-ər 

: a metric unit of capacity equal to the volume of one kilogram of water at 4°C (39°F) and at standard atmospheric pressure of 760 millimeters of mercury