benchmark

American  

[bench-mahrk] / ˈbɛntʃˌmɑrk /

Or bench mark

noun

• benchmarks
  plural

1. a standard of excellence, achievement, etc., against which similar things must be measured or judged.

   The new hotel is a benchmark in opulence and comfort.

2. any standard or reference by which others can be measured or judged.

   The current price for crude oil may become the benchmark.

3. Computers. an established point of reference against which computers or programs can be measured in tests comparing their performance, reliability, etc.

4. Surveying. Usually bench mark a marked point of known or assumed elevation from which other elevations may be established. BM

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or resulting in a benchmark.

   benchmark test, benchmark study.

verb (used with object)

1. to test (something) in order to develop a standard.

   IT benchmarked the new software.

2. to measure (something) against a standard.

   executive salaries benchmarked against the industry.

benchmark British  

/ ˈbɛntʃˌmɑːk /

noun

1. BM. a mark on a stone post or other permanent feature, at a point whose exact elevation and position is known: used as a reference point in surveying

2. 1. a criterion by which to measure something; standard; reference point

   2. ( as modifier )

      a benchmark test

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verb

1. to measure or test against a benchmark

   the firm benchmarked its pay against that in industry

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• benchmarks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of benchmark

First recorded in 1835–45; bench + mark ¹

Explanation

A benchmark is a standard that other similar items can be compared to — that way everything is measured against a common standard. Benchmark originally referred to a mark made on a wall or building by a surveyor for use as a reference point. The word still retains that meaning, but nowadays you’re more likely to hear it used in a figurative sense to describe a standard used to measure the worth of something. A particular item is selected as a benchmark, and other similar items are compared to the benchmark. A popular sitcom may be the benchmark other shows are judged against.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

benchmark benchmarks

U.S. crude futures were up 2.7% at $92.87 a barrel while international benchmark Brent crude climbed 4.4% to $102.31.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The case for letting fund managers charge performance fees, where they get paid extra if their funds beat the market indexes or a benchmark, is very easy to make.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

"As the first female player to win the gold medal I don't think gender is something that should define us or be used as a benchmark," she said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

That measure, the difference between France and Germany’s benchmark yields, has risen to 1.3 percentage point.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Epic in scope, violence, and imagination, Deathstorm is a new benchmark in the fantasy genre and cements forever G. M. Pennington’s status as the American Tolkien.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Both benchmarks had pared gains Monday after Saudi Arabia resumed loading vessels at the Red Sea port of Yanbu via its East-West pipeline, a key export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

When Dannhauser’s research team used benchmarks reflecting what the funds actually invested in, the average active bond fund underperformed by 0.43% annually.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

American companies lead on so-called frontier models, with the highest-performing systems on most benchmarks coming from firms such as Anthropic, Google and OpenAI.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Chinese open weight models are being released at a rapid pace, with benchmarks showing the country's top models trailing US rivals by only a few months.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

But O’Malley was confident that Richard would be able to meet the benchmarks she’d set.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Related Words

• criterion
• gauge
• standard
• yardstick