noun
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a measure or standard used for comparison
on what kind of yardstick is he basing his criticism?
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a graduated stick, one yard long, used for measurement
Etymology
Origin of yardstick
Explanation
A long tool used to measure lengths of up to three feet is called a yardstick. A carpenter carefully measuring lengths of wood before cutting might use a yardstick. A yardstick is basically a long ruler — three times as long, to be specific — with units marked in inches. Most are made of wood, sometimes hinged so they can be folded, and their size makes them ideal for specific tasks in construction and carpentry. The word yardstick is also used figuratively to mean "standard or benchmark." So you might say that your yardstick for success as a gardener is how many tomatoes you pick over the summer.
Vocabulary lists containing yardstick
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.
Vitinha has already been mentioned several times in this column because he happens to be the yardstick for the best midfielders on the continent.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Book value, or shareholder equity, has been a good yardstick for Berkshire stock during Buffett’s tenure.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Book value, or shareholder equity, has been a good yardstick for Berkshire stock during Buffett’s tenure.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Brent crude, the global yardstick for prices, fell around 13% to $95 a barrel on Wednesday following the cease-fire announcement, still significantly above its roughly $60 level in early January.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
However, to make any sort of measurement, you need a standard, a common yardstick, to compare to the size of the lines.
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.
