metric system
nounDefinition of metric system
: a decimal system of weights and measures based on the meter and on the kilogram
Examples of metric system in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most students were raised in the metric system, and suddenly need to think in pounds and cups, not kilograms and liters. — Anya Van Wagtendonk, Philly.com, "For these immigrants, flipping pancakes and learning English go hand-in-hand," 12 July 2018 To make dishes like struffoli, biscotti, castagnole and torta pasqualina, the students view the recipe in both Italian and English and learn about the different metric systems. — Allison Bagley, Houston Chronicle, "Have picky eaters in your home? Take them to cooking class," 3 July 2018 Where the metric system is in use, horse races are in meters. — Kelly Ward, The Courier-Journal, "Here are the answers to all of your dumb horse racing questions," 5 June 2018 Calm down, weather lovers, the National Weather Service in Portland is not moving to the metric system. — Lizzy Acker, OregonLive.com, "National Weather Service in Portland moves to the metric system (plus other April Fool's jokes you might have missed)," 1 Apr. 2018 Every country in the world, with the exception of Myanmar, Liberia, and the United States, uses the metric system. — Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, "The world has gotten Trump’s message," 8 Feb. 2018 Australians also use the metric system, so distances and speeds are measured in kilometers, as opposed to miles. — Krisanne Fordham, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Essential Things to Know Before You Visit Sydney," 2 Mar. 2018 Since 1965, the British government has been pushing its people toward the metric system, used most everywhere else but the U.S., Liberia and Myanmar. — Jenny Gross, WSJ, "English Vigilantes Use Ladders, Sticky Letters to Exterminate the Metric System," 23 Oct. 2017 At press time, only three of the world's countries don't use the metric system: the United States, Myanmar and Liberia. — Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, "America Has Been Struggling With the Metric System For Almost 230 Years," 27 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metric system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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The first known use of metric system was in 1864
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