measured
Americanadjective
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ascertained or apportioned by measure.
The race was over the course of a measured mile.
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accurately regulated or proportioned.
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regular or uniform, as in movement; rhythmical.
to walk with measured strides.
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deliberate and restrained; careful; carefully weighed or considered.
measured language; measured terms.
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in the form of meter or verse; metrical.
adjective
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determined by measurement
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slow, stately, or leisurely
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carefully considered; deliberate
Other Word Forms
- measuredly adverb
- measuredness noun
- well-measured adjective
Etymology
Origin of measured
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; measure, -ed 2
Explanation
Things done in a deliberate, rhythmic way are measured. When you're walking toward a deer in the woods, trying not to scare it off, you'll take slow, measured steps. When you meditate, you take measured breaths and pay attention to the inhale and exhale. And your measured strides up the side of a mountain trail will carry you more quickly to the top than short, erratic bursts of walking and stopping. Measured also means "thoughtful" or "careful," like the measured words you use in your delicately worded resignation letter.
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.
"That's why he's not deliberately going out of his way to blow it up. He's been measured and calm, not creating drama and throwing out insults."
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Prices as measured by the official consumer-price index rose last month by 0.87%, equivalent to a staggering annualized rate of 11%, the U.S.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Its problem lately isn’t so much being out of fashion as how it’s measured.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Household debt, as measured as a percentage of GDP, leveled off in the fourth quarter.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
When the sighting rod was set up, Rondon’s loyal right-hand man, Lieutenant João Salustiano Lyra, used a telemeter, an instrument that measured the distance from his canoe to the sighting rod.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
