criteria

noun

variants also criterions
plural of criterion
1
as in standards
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared one criterion for grading these essays will be their conformity to the rules of traditional grammar

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind an exceptionally high degree of physical risk is the preeminent criterion of an extreme sport

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of criteria The criteria that will determine when that indicator appears have not been detailed publicly, and the company did not immediately provide comment to CNBC. — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 With the advent of breed standards and clubs in the early 1900s, an official criteria for a proper Lab, such as otter tails, water resistant coats and wide skulls, became more concrete. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 24 July 2026 Speaking of selection criteria, there’s obviously a big discussion around the use of artificial intelligence in cinema. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026 These criteria include presenting an imminent likelihood of serious harm or being gravely disabled as a result of a behavioral health disorder at the time of the evaluation. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026 Technical contributions from Idaho National Laboratory supported the safety modeling needed to fulfill DOE safety criteria. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026 However, on its website, Apax said the investment criteria for Apax Digital Funds range from $100 million to $300 million invested per partnership. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 17 July 2026 The act was passed, followed in 1970 by the Clean Air Act establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards for smog- and illness-inducing criteria air pollutants. — Rebecca Florsheim, STAT, 17 July 2026 Their agent, Charlene Houston of Keller Williams Real Estate, said the family’s somewhat narrow criteria helped speed up their search. — Gabe Castro-Root, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for criteria
  1. standards
  2. characteristics
  3. benchmarks
  4. qualities
  5. features
  6. attributes
  7. traits
  8. attributions
Noun
  • The board sets education policy, maintains academic standards, and oversees educational licenses and the accreditation system.
    — Zuri Primos July 26, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • In the absence of so many senior stars in the wake of the World Cup, Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez have stepped up, helping to set the standards for the youngsters who have been included on this pre-season tour to the United States.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • The other examines how climate change altered the characteristics of the event that happened; for example, whether a hurricane produced more rainfall or a heat wave became hotter because the atmosphere has warmed.
    — Deepti Singh, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
  • Nicknamed Planet Nine and sometimes more generically called Planet X, its existence is hotly debated, but most predictions of this putative world’s characteristics put it squarely in the range of LSST’s capabilities to spot.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of characteristics
Noun
  • Labs measure performance against benchmarks that do not reflect production use cases.
    — Lucas Zhao, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The Laptop 13 Pro still supports Windows 11 just fine, of course, and for the sake of consistency, all of my performance and battery benchmarks were done in Windows 11 25H2.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
Definition of benchmarks
Noun
  • Three entry points Visitors have three choices to enter the Okefenokee — the east, west and north entrances, each with its own public amenities and natural qualities.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
  • The entire installment is structured as different types of Emmys bait, with the patriarch and his crew becoming increasingly desperate to rip off the qualities of award-winning shows and finally bring home the coveted gold.
    — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026
Definition of qualities
Noun
  • Browning and Eveland pointed out all the features of the weapon and walked through how to safely take it apart and put it back together.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
  • Surface features may not provide much evidence, so the scientists looked at fossils.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of features
Noun
  • Hollywood now effectively markets these technical attributes, making the format a key draw.
    — David Deal, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Output aside, Tzolis has the key ‘macro’ attributes that have been crucial to Mikel Arteta’s side developing into England’s champions.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of attributes
Noun
  • How might these specific traits impact the overall yak population and their habitat?
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Hagaman has the sort of traits another team might be happy to take a chance on.
    — The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of traits
Noun
  • The work has bounced between several attributions over the years before scholar Giuseppe Porzio identified it as a painting by Glielmo, giving bidders a fresh reason to take notice.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
  • Political discussions on social media are often dominated by competing attributions of more and more insidious motives to people on the other side.
    — Mark Schroeder, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of attributions

Browse Nearby Words

crisscrossing
criteria
criterion
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Cite this Entry

“Criteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criteria. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of criteria for Spanish Speakers

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