What does "metric" mean?
A measure for something; a means of deriving a quantitative measurement or approximation for otherwise qualitative phenomena (especially used in engineering).
Metric
/ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A measure for something; a means of deriving a quantitative measurement or approximation for otherwise qualitative phenomena (especially used in engineering).
- Grammar: metric is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: distance function, measure, afisr, ajaia.
- Useful contrasts: avoirdupois, imperial, nonmetric.
- Usage evidence: To change the units from metric to imperial and vice versa, the 'menu' button must be clicked.
How to use "metric"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "metric" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "metric" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "metric" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "metric" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A measure for something; a means of deriving a quantitative measurement or approximation for otherwise qualitative phenomena (especially used in engineering).
"What metric should be used for performance evaluation?"
- 2 a system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic wordnet
- 3 A function which satisfies a particular set of formal conditions, created to generalize the notion of the distance between two points. Formally, a real-valued function d on M×M, where M is a set, is called a metric if (1) d(x,y)=0 if and only if x=y, (2) d(x,y)=d(y,x) for all pairs (x,y), and (3) d obeys the triangle inequality.
"As we shall see, these metrics are constructed from a Green function."
- 4 a decimal unit of measurement of the metric system (based on meters and kilograms and seconds) wordnet
- 5 A metric tensor.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a function of a topological space that gives, for any two points in the space, a value equal to the distance between them wordnet
- 7 Abbreviation of metric system. abbreviation, alt-of
Verb
- 1 To measure or analyse statistical data concerning the quality or effectiveness of a process. transitive
"We need to metric the status of software documentation."
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the metric system of measurement. not-comparable
"But the red planet has been a graveyard for Russian, European and American missions, including an embarrassing 1999 NASA fail caused when a computer, running on metric numbers, and engineers, dealing in nonmetric numbers, got their signals crossed."
- 2 Of or relating to the meter of a piece of music. not-comparable
- 3 Of or relating to distance. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 the rhythmic arrangement of syllables wordnet
- 2 based on the meter as a standard of measurement wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"To change the units from metric to imperial and vice versa, the 'menu' button must be clicked."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "metric"?
Common synonyms include: distance function, measure, afisr, ajaia, alopius, antispastic.
How do you use "metric" in a sentence?
To change the units from metric to imperial and vice versa, the 'menu' button must be clicked.
How do you pronounce "metric"?
Pronounced /ˈmɛt.ɹɪk/.
Etymology
From French métrique (1864), from New Latin metricus (“pertaining to the system based on the meter”), from metrum (“a meter”); see meter. By surface analysis, metre + -ic.