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

So far, markets are relatively relaxed, with benchmark Brent crude futures elevated around $90 a barrel but well off their wartime highs, indicating the market isn’t desperate for supplies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Meanwhile, the Silicon Data LLM Token Expenditure Index, a financial benchmark tracking the price corporates pay to access AI tools, registered another fall to $1.05.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

US comparable sales, a closely watched benchmark, grew by 2.6 percent compared with 4.1 percent in the first quarter, a slowdown that weighed on shares.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

One way Caballero infers this is by comparing Treasury yields to swaps, derivatives used to manage interest exposure that serve as a sort of benchmark corporate borrowing rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 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

The company’s newest Gemini 3 model swept industry benchmarks, beating out rivals OpenAI and Anthropic in performance after getting a late start to the large-language-model race.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Like Grande to her adoring fans, Maddie is Deena’s idol, and Deena measures Maddie’s success by her work benchmarks and public visibility.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

During Thursday’s testimony, Aspell said the highest ammonia level detected was 70 parts per million, which is more than 15 times higher than California’s short-term health-based benchmarks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

The aim is to figure out their potential to do good or bad, as well has how they perform in benchmarks measuring their skills.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 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