metric system

Definition of metric system

: a decimal system of weights and measures based on the meter and on the kilogram

metric system table

Examples of metric system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His last attempt was short-lived and perhaps best remembered for his proposal to switch the United States to the metric system. — Lisa Lerer, New York Times, "Answering Your 2020 Questions," 6 Jan. 2020 Scientists use the metric system, which measures distance in meters (m) and velocity in meters per second (m/s). — Ben Finio, Scientific American, "Science with a Smartphone: Accelerometer," 26 Dec. 2019 Ship Specs The following ship specifications are approximates, as the figures have been converted from the metric system to the nearest whole number. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "First Liquid Hydrogen Carrier Sets Sail in Japan," 17 Dec. 2019 Mayors defend the metric system’s logic and flexibility. — The Economist, "The countryside catches up with Napoleon," 26 Sep. 2019 Plus, all the other countries in Europe seem to like the metric system, so converting everything to pounds, quarts and inches will make working with neighboring countries just a little more difficult. — Burbank Leader, "A Word, Please: New leader of Britain’s House of Commons imposes unusual grammar rules," 22 Aug. 2019 When no one wanted to lose a fight compared to their co-stars, so Vin Diesel devised a complicated metric system to ensure fair fight scene time, with numerical values for each head butt, kick and body slam. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, "Another Front Opens in the U.S.-China Trade War: CEO Daily," 2 Aug. 2019 But Britain has moved toward the metric system for most purposes in recent decades. — Palko Karasz, New York Times, "Jacob Rees-Mogg, New U.K. Minister, Greets Staff With an Imperial Edict," 27 July 2019 But Britain has moved toward the metric system for most purposes in recent decades. — Palko Karasz, BostonGlobe.com, "Britain’s new Commons leader issues very strict rules. Oops," 27 July 2019

These 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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Last Updated

18 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Metric system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metric%20system. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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