caliber

noun

cal·​i·​ber ˈka-lə-bər 

 British also  kə-ˈlē-

variants or calibre

1

a

: degree of mental capacity or moral quality

teachers of high caliber

b

: degree of excellence or importance

the caliber of instruction

2

a

: the diameter of a bullet or other projectile

b

: the diameter of a bore of a gun usually expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction

.32 caliber

3

: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body

especially : the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder

Synonyms

• class
• grade
• quality
• rate

Examples of caliber in a Sentence

I was impressed by the high caliber of the team's work.

musicians of the highest caliber perform at that concert hall

Recent Examples on the Web

The roster, once top-notch, is now hardly the same caliber as decades past. —Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023

Of course, getting a player of Messi's caliber to sign didn't come easy, as the Argentine soccer legend was in high demand. —Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023

Meanwhile, powering the watch is a new caliber, the HMC 500. —Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2023

Even on his debut album, Black was already constructing his case as an artist whose vocal and instrumental capabilities were paralleled by his songwriting caliber. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2023

Powering these two gorgeous minute repeaters is Patek’s caliber R27. —Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2023

Sierra Canyon’s defense is definitely Division 1 caliber, but can the Trailblazers’ offense generate enough points to win? —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023

Police officers responded to the shooting at about 10 a.m. on Nov. 1 and found about 25 shell casings of two different calibers in the street. —Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023

Against the advice of her agents, for instance, Crawford agreed to pose for Playboy in 1988, an unconventional move for a model of her caliber. —Eliza Brooke, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French calibre "internal diameter of a cylindrical object, displacement of a gun," borrowed (by uncertain mediation) from Arabic qālab, qālib "mold for casting metal, shoemaker's last," borrowed from Greek kalapod-, kalápous, kalópous "shoemaker's last," from kâla (plural) "wood, timber" (of uncertain origin) + -a- (perhaps after tetrápous "four-footed") or -o- -o- + poús "foot" — more at foot entry 1

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Kids Definition

caliber

noun

cal·​i·​ber

variants or calibre

ˈkal-ə-bər 

1

: degree of excellence or importance

2

: the diameter of a missile (as a bullet)

3

: the inside diameter of a gun barrel

Medical Definition

caliber

noun

cal·​i·​ber

variants or chiefly British calibre

ˈkal-ə-bər, British also kə-ˈlē-

: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body

especially : the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder