metric ton

noun

: a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms see Metric System Table

Examples of metric ton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nearly 500 metric tons — roughly 1.1 million pounds — of emergency high-energy biscuits are set to be incinerated on President Donald Trump's order,The Atlantic reported on Monday, July 14. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 16 July 2025 The Long March 10 will be China's most powerful rocket to date, with the ability to dispatch 27 metric tons of payload toward the Moon, a number comparable to NASA's Space Launch System. ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025 British multinational research firm BMI expects global copper mine production to increase at an average annual rate of 2.9% from 2025 to 2034, with annual output rising from 23.8 million metric tons in 2025 to 30.9 million metric tons by 2034. Victor Loh,amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 10 July 2025 The world produces so much plastic (more than 400 million metric tons a year, according to one estimate—roughly the combined weight of every human alive) that degraded nubbins coat the planet, detectable in the sedimentary depths of the Mariana Trench and the icy heights of Mount Everest. Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for metric ton

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metric ton was in 1864

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Cite this Entry

“Metric ton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metric%20ton. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

metric ton

noun
: a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms see metric system

More from Merriam-Webster on metric ton

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