metric

1 of 3

noun

met·​ric ˈme-trik How to pronounce metric (audio)
1
metrics plural : a part of prosody that deals with metrical (see metrical sense 1) structure
the analytical study of metricT. S. Eliot
2
: a standard of measurement
no metric exists that can be applied directly to happinessScientific Monthly
3
: a mathematical function that associates a real nonnegative number analogous to distance with each pair of elements in a set such that the number is zero only if the two elements are identical, the number is the same regardless of the order in which the two elements are taken, and the number associated with one pair of elements plus that associated with one member of the pair and a third element is equal to or greater than the number associated with the other member of the pair and the third element

metric

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or using the metric system
a metric study

-metric

3 of 3

adjective combining form

variants or -metrical
1
: of, employing, or obtained by (such) a meter
galvanometric
2
: of or relating to (such) an art, process, or science of measuring
geometrical

Did you know?

The metric system was invented in France in the years following the French Revolution, and a version of it is now used in most of the world to measure distance, weight, and volume. Basic metric units include the kilogram (the basic unit of weight), the liter (the basic unit of volume), and of course the meter (the basic unit of length—see below). Metric—or more often metrical—can also refer to the basic underlying rhythm of songs and poetry. So while the scientists' measurements are usually metric, the poets' are usually metrical.

Examples of metric in a Sentence

Noun according to the usual metrics by which we judge fiction, this novel is an utter failure Adjective The metric unit of energy is the “joule.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
From 2019 to 2021, Orioles starters other than Means had a 6.10 ERA while allowing 1.96 home runs per nine innings, a metric in which no other club’s rotation exceeded 1.61. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023 The number of companies with metrics and goals integrated into their DEI plans also rose from 60% to 75% over the same time frame. Arcelia Martin, Dallas News, 13 Sep. 2023 Those three pillars– eating, learning, and playing– are important for a number of metrics. Malaika Jabali, Essence, 6 Sep. 2023 The Artist 100 measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption, blending album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity. Xander Zellner, Billboard, 6 Sep. 2023 Of course, founders’ ability to raise funds this fall depends a lot on the stage of their company, their metrics, and, of course, the sector. Anne Sraders, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023 Cannabis, however, is not one of the metrics that My E Listing used to rank each state. oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2023 Every day, rankings in a variety of categories on these metrics are published. Roxane Gay, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023 Employee engagement scores are a particularly worrisome metric, another said. Bypeter Vanham, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2023
Adjective
In August, Bradish, Rodriguez and Kremer recorded a 2.38 ERA and 3.32 FIP, an ERA-like metric determined using aspects only in a pitcher’s control such as strikeouts, walks and home runs. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023 The preservation study highlights that on nearly every metric evaluated, East McKinney lags the rest of the city in terms of economic and social well-being, and residents are vulnerable to displacement from the area in the face of these challenges and changes. Haeven Gibbons, Dallas News, 28 Aug. 2023 The journal is also full of games, maps, helpful phrases in other languages, metric information, quotes and fun facts. Elizabeth Berry, Good Housekeeping, 23 Aug. 2023 The company says that viewing carries the most weight in its demand metric and social media posting the least. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2023 Race tires, the kind that use metric sizing and aren't road legal, wrap 18-inch center-lock wheels. K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 18 Aug. 2023 Despite ranking in the 2nd percentile in fastball velocity at around 91 mph, Coulombe ranks in the top 25% of virtually every key metric Statcast tracks, according to Baseball Savant. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2023 All those additional planes in the sky come with carbon emissions—roughly 800 metric tonnes of it, as of last year. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Aug. 2023 Squid Game is still the all-time leader for any Netflix title, but Wednesday moves ahead of Stranger Things season four atop the English-langauge series list based on the longer window and the views metric. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metric.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

metric "metrical art, prosody" (in part borrowed from Late Latin metrica —short for ars metrica "metrical art"— from feminine of Latin metricus "metrical, rhythmic," borrowed from Greek metrikós; in part borrowed from Greek metrikḗ —short for metrikḕ téchnē "metrical craft"— or metriká, from, respectively, feminine singular and neuter plural of metrikós "by measurement, metrical") + -ics; (senses 2-3) probably noun derivative of metric "of measurement," earliest in mathematical use, probably after German Metrik — more at metrical

Adjective

borrowed from French métrique, from mètre meter entry 3 + -ique -ic entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metric was in 1760

Dictionary Entries Near metric

Cite this Entry

“Metric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metric. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

metric

adjective
met·​ric
ˈme-trik
1
: of, relating to, or based on the metric system
2

Medical Definition

metric

adjective
met·​ric ˈme-trik How to pronounce metric (audio)
: of, relating to, or using the metric system
a metric study
metrically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on metric

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