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

When at work, the robot’s drilling generates less than five newtons of force, which feels about as heavy as a half-liter bottle of water. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 25 June 2026

Today, now working with master distiller Hervé Grangeon, Vodkress remains a small-batch, craft spirit (only 7,000 liters are produced each year), available at select venues, such as the Surf Club in Miami and chef Bruno Verjus’s Parisian eatery, Table. — Ian Phillips, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2026

Deep in the Kamioka mine in Japan, Masatoshi Koshiba built a different kind of detector called Kamiokande, which used 3 million liters of ultrapure water. — Simon Frantz, Quanta Magazine, 24 June 2026

The hollow fiber filter physically removes bacteria and protozoa that cause diseases, as well as dirt and microplastics, and has a lifespan of 4,000 liters (1,000 gallons). — Brad Bourque, The Verge, 23 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for liter

• beater
• cheater
• dieter
• eater
• heater
• litre
• meter
• metre
• neater
• praetor
• seater
• skeeter

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