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
Etymology
Origin of measured
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at 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.
But on a mountain, every movement is measured.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Reporters also measured each damaged building’s original single-story square footage, and found the average size fell from 12,000 square feet before the ceasefire to less than 5,000 after.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Using thousands of atoms cooled to temperatures barely above absolute zero, Professor Giovanni Barontini demonstrated that the passage of time can be measured without relying on an external clock.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
Someone who invested in the index in the spring of 1980 and held on for 20 years would have turned $10,000 into $128,000 — again, measured in constant, inflation-adjusted dollars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
She hummed as she measured and marked her charts, and she sang so loudly when she climbed Lookout Palm to check for sails that a seagull dropped his fish.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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