caliber
Americannoun
-
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.
a pipe of three-inch caliber.
-
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
-
degree of capacity or competence; ability.
a mathematician of high caliber.
-
degree of merit or excellence; quality.
the high moral caliber of the era.
- Synonyms:
- distinction, worth
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of caliber
1560–70; variant of calibre < Middle French ≪ Arabic qālib mold, last < Greek kālápous shoe last, equivalent to kāla- combining form of kâlon wood + poús foot ( see -pod)
Explanation
Caliber is a kind of measurement that can describe either the level of a person’s ability or the diameter of a gun barrel. Your dad might be a high-caliber marksman, especially when using his .22 caliber rifle. Caliber describes the level of ability a person has achieved in a profession. For example, you probably wouldn't want to hire a low-caliber plumber when the toilet breaks. The caliber of an institution or a program describes the height of its standards. You might be planning to attend the high-caliber veterinary program at your state university. Caliber is also the measurement of the width inside a gun barrel, and its corresponding bullets.
Vocabulary lists containing caliber
Fallen Angels
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Code Talker
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The Princess Bride
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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:
Pursuing an adaptation of this caliber feels like a losing battle, something a filmmaker does just to prove that they can.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Irresistible, wedding-DJ caliber singles that will get men and women, all the world over, from 9 to 90 on the dance floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Properties of this caliber, with such a rich legacy and expansive acreage, seldom become available.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
With only a handful of lyrics, she revisits a million lifetimes replete with monumental change and insights only an artist of her caliber could convey.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Only a code breaker of Elizebeth’s caliber had a chance.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
The Czechoslovak Group, which acquired a German nitrocellulose facility, aims to secure the entire supply chain for artillery shells of various calibers within company facilities across several European countries by year-end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
There are thousands of "elite" teams like that city's Scorpion unit and they come in all calibers, shapes, and sizes.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2023
A separate .308 caliber version with six barrels also was being offered for sale by the company, and two newer models with still different calibers are expected to be unveiled in the coming months.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
Was it pressing, or are the calibers of the tiers an issue more pressing?
From Washington Post ● Dec. 31, 2020
The various kinds and calibers of small arms were as numerous and different as the individuals that carried them.
From Four Years A Scout and Spy by Downs, E. C.
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.
