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
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
Fallen Angels
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Code Talker
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The Princess Bride
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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.
No comeback of this caliber occurs without something like supernatural help, and the fates of Madison Square Garden did their part on Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Performers of Prince and Lamar’s caliber enjoy the spoils of their popularity.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
Any artist would be proud to play that caliber of headline slot.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
"Same caliber, all the same type of cartridges," he explained, but one is banned while the other is not.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Now Eisman had his first exchanges with them, and what struck him immediately—and struck Danny and Vinny, too—was the caliber of their employees.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
