benchmarking

American  

[bench-mahr-king] / ˈbɛntʃˌmɑr kɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or practice of measuring something against a standard, or of testing it in order to develop such a standard.

   The system measures nursing outcomes on a numerical scale, facilitating the benchmarking of nursing practices across facilities and jurisdictions.

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Etymology

Origin of benchmarking

First recorded in 1965–70; benchmark ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The loss is less than the £355m quoted on Uefa's benchmarking report last month.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

IPSA's pay decision for 2026-27 includes a 1.5% benchmarking adjustment, as well as a 3.5% cost-of-living increase.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

So once a year, the BLS adjusts for this by benchmarking its estimates against a near-complete count of employment based on state unemployment insurance records.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

But capitalization-weighted indexes have become concentrated today in so few stocks and industries that benchmarking investments to an index could lead to massive underperformance in the next five to 10 years.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

But capitalization-weighted indexes have become concentrated today in so few stocks and industries that benchmarking investments to an index could lead to massive underperformance in the next five to 10 years.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026