caliber
Americannoun
-
calibers
plural
-
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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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:
Iran has seen a huge brain drain since the 1990s, and the caliber of its operatives has slipped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Mensah knew he had landed in just the right place for a quarterback of his caliber.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Audiences seldom get to experience summer fun at this caliber anymore.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Properties of this caliber, with such a rich legacy and expansive acreage, seldom become available.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 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
The Czechoslovak Group, which acquired a German nitrocellulose facility, aims to secure the entire supply chain for artillery shells of various calibers within company facilities across several European countries by year-end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Rosas estimated about 2,000 rounds of various calibers of ammunition were recovered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2024
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
Was it pressing, or are the calibers of the tiers an issue more pressing?
From Washington Post ● Dec. 31, 2020
The Germans made their light cannon 18 calibers long.
From Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America by Albert Manucy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
