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

For good measure, the current owner also recently replaced the water pump and front crank seal, rebuilt the master cylinder and brake booster, and fitted new KYB dampers in front and adjustable Koni units in the rear. — Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, "1988 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Callaway Twin-Turbo Four-Speed Is a High-Performance Love Letter from the '80s," 15 May 2019 The number next to it is a measure of how much solar energy is required to produce a sunburn on protected skin — as the SPF value increases, so does sunburn protection. — Jessica Chia, Allure, "The Sunscreen Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything You Need to Know About SPF," 4 May 2019 Alcohol is viewed fondly by much of the population, despite being more harmful than cannabis by almost any measure. — Amber Senter, Marie Claire, "We Have to Acknowledge That CBD Use Is a Privilege," 11 Apr. 2019 Gender parity is a statistical measure that compares women and men through their income, education, and work hours, among other points. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Why International Women's Day Is Celebrated on March 8," 28 Feb. 2019 Sprinkle in Camelot and Middle Earth wizardry, snowy Shinto shrines, and miles of off-radar piste for good measure. — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, "Slow Skiing in Japan's Deep North," 11 Oct. 2018 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

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.