metric

1 of 3

noun

met·ric ˈme-trik

Synonyms of metric next

metrics plural : a part of prosody that deals with metrical (see metrical sense 1) structure

the analytical study of metric—

T. S. Eliot

: a standard of measurement

no metric exists that can be applied directly to happiness—

Scientific Monthly

: a mathematical function that associates a real nonnegative number analogous to distance with each pair of elements in a set such that the number is zero only if the two elements are identical, the number is the same regardless of the order in which the two elements are taken, and the number associated with one pair of elements plus that associated with one member of the pair and a third element is equal to or greater than the number associated with the other member of the pair and the third element

metric

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or using the metric system

a metric study

-metric

3 of 3

adjective combining form

variants or -metrical

: of, employing, or obtained by (such) a meter

galvanometric

: of or relating to (such) an art, process, or science of measuring

geometrical

Did you know?

The metric system was invented in France in the years following the French Revolution, and a version of it is now used in most of the world to measure distance, weight, and volume. Basic metric units include the kilogram (the basic unit of weight), the liter (the basic unit of volume), and of course the meter (the basic unit of length—see below). Metric—or more often metrical—can also refer to the basic underlying rhythm of songs and poetry. So while the scientists' measurements are usually metric, the poets' are usually metrical.

Example Sentences

Noun according to the usual metrics by which we judge fiction, this novel is an utter failure Adjective The metric unit of energy is the “joule.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In contrast, Boston College ranks 249th in this metric with 101.2 points per 100 possessions. —

Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2023 Many manufacturers do not report CRI so this metric can be tough to use while shopping. —

Good Housekeeping, 8 Feb. 2023 This metric is usually listed near the bed dimensions. —

Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2023 This metric is commonly used to anchor mortgage interest rates, even in times when the federal funds rate is moving upwards. —

Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023 Over the last year, net sales per customer increased 14% to $462, and this metric has been steadily inching higher. —

Dallas News, 25 Sep. 2022 This metric is especially important for electronics that use apps, such as smartphones and computers. —

Fionna Agomuoh, Popular Mechanics, 23 Sep. 2022 The one metric that still loves them is Bart Torvik’s T-rank, at 16. —

San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2023 So hotels in Cleveland throughout Ohio are recovering at a rate slightly better than the national average, at least by one metric of occupancy. —

Laura Johnston, cleveland, 24 Jan. 2023

Adjective

SmartAsset also listed which of the safest cities were the most affordable by using a home affordability metric — median annual housing costs as a percentage of median household income. —

Dallas News, 14 Feb. 2023 By almost any metric, comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is one of the most prolific performers working today. —

Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Dec. 2022 This metric, known as the second-week drop, is often used as an indicator of whether a film will have longevity at the box office or may fizzle quickly. —

Sarah Whitten, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2022 The track concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for a 14th week each and Hot R&B Songs for a 12th frame. —

Gary Trust, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2022 That metric, final sales to private domestic purchasers, offers a clearer look at U.S. demand and has increased every quarter since the beginning of the pandemic. —

Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2022 By that metric, 4 million acre-feet in cuts would cost $6 billion. —

Zak Podmore, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022 The categories are determined through a metric known as excess deaths, which compares how many people died on a day with the forecasted temperature versus an average day. —

Emmarie Huetteman, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2022 The categories are determined through a metric known as excess deaths, which compares how many people died on a day with the forecasted temperature versus an average day. —

Emmarie Huetteman, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metric.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

metric "metrical art, prosody" (in part borrowed from Late Latin metrica —short for ars metrica "metrical art"— from feminine of Latin metricus "metrical, rhythmic," borrowed from Greek metrikós; in part borrowed from Greek metrikḗ —short for metrikḕ téchnē "metrical craft"— or metriká, from, respectively, feminine singular and neuter plural of metrikós "by measurement, metrical") + -ics; (sense 2-3) probably noun derivative of metric "of measurement," earliest in mathematical use, probably after German Metrik — more at metrical