calibrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
calibrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
calibrated,
past participle, past
-
calibrating
present participle
-
to determine, check, or rectify the graduation of (any instrument giving quantitative measurements).
-
to divide or mark with gradations, graduations, or other indexes of degree, quantity, etc., as on a thermometer, measuring cup, or the like.
-
to determine the correct range for (an artillery gun, mortar, etc.) by observing where the fired projectile hits.
-
to plan or devise (something) carefully so as to have a precise use, application, appeal, etc..
a sales strategy calibrated to rich investors.
verb
-
to measure the calibre of (a gun, mortar, etc)
-
to mark (the scale of a measuring instrument) so that readings can be made in appropriate units
-
to determine the accuracy of (a measuring instrument, etc)
-
to determine or check the range and accuracy of (a piece of artillery)
-
To check, adjust, or standardize a measuring instrument, usually by comparing it with an accepted model.
-
To measure the diameter of the inside of a tube.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
calibraternoun
-
calibrationnoun
-
calibratornoun
-
recalibrateverb (used with or without object)
-
uncalibratedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
calibratesimple
-
calibratessimple
-
have calibratedperfect
-
has calibratedperfect
-
am calibratingprogressive
-
are calibratingprogressive
-
is calibratingprogressive
-
have been calibratingperfect progressive
-
has been calibratingperfect progressive
Past
-
calibratedsimple
-
had calibratedperfect
-
was calibratingprogressive
-
were calibratingprogressive
-
had been calibratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of calibrate
Explanation
The word calibrate means making precise measurement. For example, you might want to calibrate your bathroom scale now and then to be sure it’s adjusted for exact weight. Or calibrate it to read five pounds light. We won't tell. To find the origin of calibrate, we must look at its root, caliber, which appeared in the late 15th-century Middle French as calibre, meaning "a degree of importance." Linguists trace that word to an Arabic beginning, the word qalib, which referred to a mold for making bullets. That meaning seems to have carried over to our word, the verb calibrate, which first meant to measure the range of a projectile such as a bullet or shell.
Vocabulary lists containing calibrate
The Fault in Our Stars
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Leap," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
To evaluate and calibrate the imager, researchers are comparing Psyche's flyby observations with data collected by other spacecraft and rovers at Mars.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
I used the mobile app to calibrate the power—25% on Eco mode was just right to start.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
These approaches could help calibrate systems more responsibly by testing how often an algorithm wrongly flags people or locations.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
There are these sea change moments for young bands that don’t know how to respond or calibrate to them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
Very little effort was made to calibrate the experiments with plausible inorganic Martian surface materials.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The economic task force, to be led by McMillon, the former Walmart executive, and economists Raj Chetty and Kevin Murphy, will review how the Fed calibrates its read on economic activity in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
And Edelstein brilliantly calibrates the pacing of the plot to keep the audience hooked from start to finish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2024
He carefully calibrates his criticisms of Mr Putin.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2024
A poised and appealing performer, Nagle calibrates the story’s tonal shifts capably, while also capturing Jean’s energy and acing the humor.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2023
Such a number calibrates crudely what humans know.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Much may depend on whether Tehran is able to maintain calibrated actions without triggering a response that fundamentally changes the political and military calculations of the United States.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
It has presumably been engineered by a team, calibrated for refrigeration and focus-grouped into broad acceptability, yet it feels made by no one.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Radiocarbon measurements must be calibrated because the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere has changed over time.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
“In an environment of continued heightened uncertainty, this calibrated adjustment to the policy stance builds on the tightening in April,” the Monetary Authority of Singapore said Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
I paused a second, trying to figure out if my response should be calibrated to please Augustus or his parents.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Ms. Musgraves has a limited voice in terms of technical ability, but she’s good at calibrating her phrasing to match a song’s mood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
“We see very high demand for our compute products, we’re working hard to meet demand and we’re constantly calibrating and assessing what it will do to the total available market in the future,” Feng said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 25, 2026
Eileen was always kind of calibrating, “I know you very well, but what are you up to?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025
Delivering 2% inflation, she noted in September, requires “carefully calibrating the stance of policy.”
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025
Warriors were now in place from every world where Lord Asriel’s rebellion had supporters; mechanics and artificers were fueling aircraft, loading weapons, and calibrating sights and measures.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
