measure

noun

mea·sure | \ ˈme-zhər

Definition of measure

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : an adequate or due portion all too few of the British actresses … have received their measure of remembrance — Saturday Review

(2) : a moderate degree also : moderation, temperance

(3) : a fixed or suitable limit : bounds rich beyond measure

b : the dimensions, capacity, or amount of something ascertained by measuring took his measure for a coat

c : an estimate of what is to be expected (as of a person or situation) the measure of their tragedy is now beyond our imagination— G. F. Kennan

d(1) : a measured quantity

(2) : amount, degree giving children a greater measure of freedom

2a : an instrument (such as a yardstick) or utensil (such as a graduated cup) for measuring

b(1) : a standard or unit of measurement — see Weights and Measures Table

(2) : a system of standard units of measure metric measure

3 : the act or process of measuring settled by a measure made by a surveyor

4a(1) : melody, tune

(2) : dance especially : a slow and stately dance

b : rhythmic structure or movement : cadence: such as

(1) : poetic rhythm measured by temporal (see temporal entry 1 sense 3) quantity or accent specifically : meter

(2) : musical time

c(1) : a grouping of a specified number of musical beats located between two consecutive vertical lines on a staff

(2) : a metrical unit : foot

5 : an exact divisor of a number 6 being the greatest common measure of 42 and 12

6 : a basis or standard of comparison wealth is not a measure of happiness

7 : a step planned or taken as a means to an end took strong measures against the rebels specifically : a proposed legislative act sponsored an anti-inflation measure in the senate

for good measure

: in addition to the minimum required : as an extra added another illustration for good measure

measure

verb

measured; measuring\ ˈme-zhə-riŋ

, ˈmā- ; ˈmezh-riŋ , ˈmāzh- \

Definition of measure (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to choose or control with cautious restraint : regulate measure his acts

b : to regulate by a standard : govern

2 : to allot or apportion in measured amounts measure out three cups

3 : to lay off by making measurements

4 : to ascertain the measurements of

5 : to estimate or appraise by a criterion measures his skill against his rival

6 archaic : to travel over : traverse

7 : to serve as a means of measuring a thermometer measures temperature

intransitive verb

1 : to take or make a measurement

2 : to have a specified measurement

Other Words from measure Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about measure

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Other Words from measure

Verb

measurability \ ˌme-zhə-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē

, ˌmā- ; ˌmezh-rə- , ˌmāzh- \ noun

measurable \ ˈme-zhə-rə-bəl

, ˈmā- ; ˈmezh-rə- , ˈmāzh- \ adjective

measurably \ ˈme-zhə-rə-blē

, ˈmā- ; ˈmezh-rə- , ˈmāzh- \ adverb

measurer \ ˈme-zhər-ər

, ˈmā- ; ˈmezh-rə- , ˈmāzh- \ noun

Synonyms for measure

Synonyms: Noun

expedient, means, move, shift, step

Synonyms: Verb

gauge (also gage), scale, span

Examples of measure in a Sentence

Noun

She felt equal measures of hope and fear. Their actions were motivated in large measure by a desire for revenge. An occasion like this calls for some measure of decorum. The meter is a measure of length. The dictionary includes a table of weights and measures. The legislature has passed a measure aimed at protecting consumers. The governor has proposed a number of cost-cutting measures. They were forced to resort to desperate measures. We need to take measures to protect ourselves.

Verb

using a ruler to measure a piece of paper an instrument for measuring air pressure mental abilities measured by IQ testing He's being measured for a new suit. His success cannot be measured solely on the basis of his popularity. The cloth measures 3 meters. The room measures 15 feet wide by 30 feet long.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One beam shines over a city block while the other measures reflected light. — Dan Dubno, Popular Mechanics, "How We'll Stop Chemical Attacks," 28 Apr. 2019 Is a medical degree really the right measure of who is deserving of dignity, autonomy, safety in the work place, fair trade and freedom of employment? — Teen Vogue, "Why Sex Work Is Real Work," 26 Apr. 2019 But while civil rights groups welcomed the new legislation, police departments and unions have been far less receptive, arguing that the measure will expose information that needs to remain private. — P.r. Lockhart, Vox, "A California city plans to shred years of police records before a new law makes them public," 27 Dec. 2018 From the top of the screen to the ground, the Peloton measures 5.5 feet tall. — Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, "8 Things You Should Know Before Buying A Peloton Bike," 6 Dec. 2018 But while the conservative immigration bill and compromise bill both were expected to fail going into the day, House leaders seemed more optimistic than ever late Thursday that the updated compromise measure has a good chance of passage. — Gregg Re, Fox News, "House GOP abruptly scraps planned vote on troubled immigration bill, saying it could pass next week," 2 Oct. 2018 Taking the right preventative measures (more on that in a minute) will also protect your pet from tickborne illnesses. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "What to Do If Your Dog Has a Tick Bite," 19 Apr. 2019 But under Alessandra Bertuzzi, who became creative director last August, La Perla is now producing made-to-measure wedding dresses. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "La Perla Releases Its First Bridal Collection—and It’s Very Hot," 12 Apr. 2019 My knowledge of Yiddish has increased beyond all measure. — Simon Doonan, ELLE Decor, "Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan Give Their Greenwich Village Home a Glitz Makeover," 8 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But ad-fraud schemes on other platforms have quickly risen and been much more difficult to measure, according to the study, which was conducted by the Association of National Advertisers and fraud-detection company White Ops Inc. ... — Patience Haggin, WSJ, "Online Ad Fraud Is Down, Study Finds—or at Least It’s Harder to Detect," 1 May 2019 So scientists analyzed data from satellite footage of STEVE events between April 2008 and May 2016 to measure electric and magnetic fields in the magnetosphere. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Science Behind Earth's Strangest Light Phenomena," 29 Apr. 2019 Neutrogena already has an iPhone attachment, the 360 Skin Scanner, that uses sensors to measure moisture levels on various parts of the face and imaging technology to track wrinkle depth and pore size. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, "The Future of Personalized Beauty Lies in the Tech Industry," 17 Apr. 2019 In the course of reviewing the permit application, the agency decided more work was needed to measure greenhouse-gas emissions tied to the project. — Debbie Cockrell, The Seattle Times, "Liquefied natural gas project in Tacoma ‘will not cause significant adverse impact’ from greenhouse-gas emissions, new report says," 30 Mar. 2019 The HomePod relies on microphones inside the speaker to measure a response, while Sonos uses the microphones in your smartphone to tune its sound. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Google Assistant is reportedly coming to Samsung TVs," 21 Dec. 2018 The company’s leverage--measured by the ratio of net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization--is relatively low at 2.3 times, compared with the industry average of above 3.0 times, Mr. Feeney said. — Nina Trentmann, WSJ, "Hershey Names New CFO as It Transforms Its Business," 18 Apr. 2019 Weight: Weight is an indicator of density, as it is measured by square foot. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "The Best Carpet Types for a Perfectly Grounded Space," 13 Feb. 2019 Those changes include weaker bargaining power for workers, as well as changes in the composition of the workforce that could create more slack than is measured by the unemployment rate. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "New York Fed Chief Calls for Reassessing Inflation-Targeting Framework," 22 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'measure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.