caliber
Americannoun
-
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.
a pipe of three-inch caliber.
-
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
-
degree of capacity or competence; ability.
a mathematician of high caliber.
-
degree of merit or excellence; quality.
the high moral caliber of the era.
- Synonyms:
- distinction, worth
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of caliber
1560–70; variant of calibre < Middle French ≪ Arabic qālib mold, last < Greek kālápous shoe last, equivalent to kāla- combining form of kâlon wood + poús foot ( see -pod)
Explanation
Caliber is a kind of measurement that can describe either the level of a person’s ability or the diameter of a gun barrel. Your dad might be a high-caliber marksman, especially when using his .22 caliber rifle. Caliber describes the level of ability a person has achieved in a profession. For example, you probably wouldn't want to hire a low-caliber plumber when the toilet breaks. The caliber of an institution or a program describes the height of its standards. You might be planning to attend the high-caliber veterinary program at your state university. Caliber is also the measurement of the width inside a gun barrel, and its corresponding bullets.
Vocabulary lists containing caliber
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Code Talker
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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:
“Properties of this caliber, with such a rich legacy and expansive acreage, seldom become available.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
With only a handful of lyrics, she revisits a million lifetimes replete with monumental change and insights only an artist of her caliber could convey.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
No player of that caliber would be coming in return for what the Angels have to offer now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
He explained that, in some ways, this change is a throwback to the roadside dining culture that existed in the U.S. before the Interstate Highway System, which prioritized convenience over caliber.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
She said, “Harvard. And if not Harvard, Princeton. And if not Princeton, Yale. And if not Yale, Columbia. And if not Columbia, Stanford. He was that caliber of student.”
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
There are thousands of "elite" teams like that city's Scorpion unit and they come in all calibers, shapes, and sizes.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2023
Athletes of all calibers should feel free to get what they’re worth.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2022
Indeed, since a grip has nothing to do with a gun’s internal mechanics, there’s no reason to include those calibers except to announce it as a product for AR-15s and M16s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2019
We have revolvers, rifles, shotguns, derringers and loads of pistols, with calibers of all kinds.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 12, 2016
He supposed that Scotty and Angel had picked up the rifles of the ambushers, but since he didn't know the calibers, he couldn't get ammunition for them.
From The Golden Skull by Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)
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.
