measure
Americannoun
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measures
plural
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a unit or standard of measurement.
weights and measures.
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a system of measurement.
liquid measure.
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an instrument, as a graduated rod or a container of standard capacity, for measuring.
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the extent, dimensions, quantity, etc., of something, ascertained especially by comparison with a standard.
to take the measure of a thing.
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the act or process of ascertaining the extent, dimensions, or quantity of something; measurement.
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a definite or known quantity measured out.
to drink a measure of wine.
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any standard of comparison, estimation, or judgment.
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a quantity, degree, or proportion.
in large measure.
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a moderate amount.
to live with a measure of enjoyment.
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a limit, or an extent or degree not to be exceeded.
to know no measure.
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reasonable bounds or limits.
to know no measure.
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a legislative bill or enactment.
The senate passed the new measure.
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Usually measures. actions or procedures intended as a means to an end.
to take measures to avert suspicion.
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a short rhythmical movement or arrangement, as in poetry or music.
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a particular kind of such arrangement.
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a metrical unit.
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Music.
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the music contained between two bar lines; bar.
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an air or melody.
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a slow, dignified dance.
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Printing. the width, measured in ems or picas, to which a column or page of printed matter is set.
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Geology. measures, beds; strata.
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Mathematics. an abstraction of the property of length; a set function assigning to each set of a collection of sets a value, usually having the properties of sigma finiteness and finite additivity, the functional value of the whole collection being greater than zero.
verb (used with object)
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measures,
present (3rd person singular)
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measured,
past participle, past
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measuring
present participle
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to ascertain the extent, dimensions, quantity, capacity, etc., of, especially by comparison with a standard.
to measure boundaries.
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to mark off or deal out by way of measurement (often followed by off orout ).
to measure out two cups of flour.
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to estimate the relative amount, value, etc., of, by comparison with some standard.
to measure the importance of an issue.
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to judge or appraise by comparison with something or someone else.
to measure Corneille against Racine.
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to serve as the measure of.
Her sacrifices measure the degree of her love.
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to adjust or proportion.
to measure a portion to one's liking.
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to bring into comparison or competition.
to measure one's strength with another's.
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to travel over; traverse.
to measure a room with great strides.
verb (used without object)
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measures,
present (3rd person singular)
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measured,
past participle, past
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measuring
present participle
-
to take measurements.
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to admit of measurement.
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to be of a specified measure.
verb phrase
idioms
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beyond measure, too much to be reckoned; immeasurably; extremely.
The suffering that they endured was beyond measure.
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in a / some measure, to some extent or degree.
His conclusion is justified in some measure.
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for good measure, as an extra.
In addition to dessert, they served chocolates for good measure.
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measure one's length, to fall or be knocked down; fall flat.
He missed a step in the dark and measured his length at the bottom.
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measure swords,
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to test one's preparedness for a contest or encounter.
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to battle with swords.
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to fight, compete, etc..
The producer of the poorly reviewed show decided to measure swords with the critics.
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have / take someone's measure, to judge or assess someone's character, capabilities, etc.; size up.
During their conversation she was taking his measure as a prospective employee.
noun
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the extent, quantity, amount, or degree of something, as determined by measurement or calculation
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a device for measuring distance, volume, etc, such as a graduated scale or container
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a system of measurement
give the size in metric measure
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a standard used in a system of measurements
the international prototype kilogram is the measure of mass in SI units
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a specific or standard amount of something
a measure of grain
short measure
full measure
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a basis or standard for comparison
his work was the measure of all subsequent attempts
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reasonable or permissible limit or bounds
we must keep it within measure
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degree or extent (often in phrases such as in some measure, in a measure, etc)
they gave him a measure of freedom
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(often plural) a particular action intended to achieve an effect
they took measures to prevent his leaving
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a legislative bill, act, or resolution
to bring in a measure
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music another word for bar 1
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prosody poetic rhythm or cadence; metre
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a metrical foot
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poetic a melody or tune
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the act of measuring; measurement
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archaic a dance
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printing the width of a page or column of type
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as an extra precaution or beyond requirements
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to assess the nature, character, quality, etc, of someone
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(of clothes) made to fit an individual purchaser
verb
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to determine the size, amount, etc, of by measurement
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(intr) to make a measurement or measurements
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(tr) to estimate or determine
I measured his strength to be greater than mine
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(tr) to function as a measurement of
the ohm measures electrical resistance
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(tr) to bring into competition or conflict
he measured his strength against that of his opponent
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(intr) to be as specified in extent, amount, etc
the room measures six feet
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(tr) to travel or move over as if measuring
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(tr) to adjust or choose
he measured his approach to suit the character of his client
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(intr) to allow or yield to measurement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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measurernoun
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mismeasureverb
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intermeasureverb (used with object)
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outmeasureverb (used with object)
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premeasureverb (used with object)
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remeasureverb (used with object)
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undermeasureverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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measuresimple
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measuressimple
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have measuredperfect
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has measuredperfect
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am measuringprogressive
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are measuringprogressive
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is measuringprogressive
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have been measuringperfect progressive
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has been measuringperfect progressive
Past
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measuredsimple
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had measuredperfect
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was measuringprogressive
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were measuringprogressive
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had been measuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of measure
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mesure, from Middle French, from Latin mēnsūra, equivalent to mēns(us), past participle of mētīrī “to measure, mete” + -ūra -ure
Explanation
To measure something is to figure out how much of it is there. A measure can also be a step toward a goal: take measures to ensure you don't flunk an exam by cracking the books. You can take measures to improve your health: limit sweets, get enough rest, get some exercise, and wash your hands to avoid the spread of germs. The noun also means a standard for comparison. You can measure your time against the good you will do if you volunteer to help out a child via a mentoring program.
Vocabulary lists containing measure
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Music - Introductory
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
July’s selloff resulted in the worst month for the momentum trade since 2000, according to one measure — but wild swings beneath the surface barely registered at the index level.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Researchers evaluated changes in mood using validated questionnaires that measure symptoms of anxiety and depression.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
If those covered by the measure do not reoffend during that period, investigations would be dropped and sentences considered served.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
That makes a fund’s readily available cash a crucial measure of its financial resilience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Though farm life offered my parents a measure of independence that life in town didn’t, it was difficult then, and it remains difficult today.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Her blood values, including packed cell volume — which measures the percentage of red blood cells in her bloodstream — increased and fell several times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Gross-margin and operating-margin figures aren’t available for most companies in the financial sector, as banks and insurers have their own industry-based measures of profitability.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
During my fertile windows, we started putting measures in place that were very similar to the ones used in trauma-informed fertility care.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Other measures would include tightening controls on the possession, carrying and use of firearms.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
With me, Mother and Father took extra measures, and they worked.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
On average, when measured in real purchasing-power terms, bondholders lost about 2% of their money a year.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
On other occasions, progress was measured in single digits: two people during one visit, five on another, eight on the next.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated rather than measured directly, and the analysis did not assess sedentary time or lower-intensity exercise.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
If the ground moves, position must be measured against something that doesn’t.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The swimming pool alone measured one hundred feet by forty-two feet and sat under a glass roof, surrounded by walkways lined with white columns.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Realized volatility involves measuring how volatile stocks have actually been on a day-to-day basis, while implied volatility measures how volatile investors expect stocks to be over a given period based on trading in options markets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The scheme was "not fit for purpose", she said, measuring too few pollutants too infrequently, and missing nitrogen and other substances scientists have long understood to be driving rivers' decline.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
During that trip, we climbed a tree measuring 71.7 meters.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The company said it benefited from higher sales of tires measuring 18 inches and above, positive effects from raw-material prices, a weaker currency and eased tariff impacts, as well as cost discipline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
They never progressed beyond measuring volumes and counting days and hours.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
