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.
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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:
Those teams are good in their own right but are not the same caliber.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Audiences seldom get to experience summer fun at this caliber anymore.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Irresistible, wedding-DJ caliber singles that will get men and women, all the world over, from 9 to 90 on the dance floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Properties of this caliber, with such a rich legacy and expansive acreage, seldom become available.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
An ignoble end for a bodyguard of his caliber.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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
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
A separate .308 caliber version with six barrels also was being offered for sale by the company, and two newer models with still different calibers are expected to be unveiled in the coming months.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
Many include the numbers .223 and 5.56, which represent the calibers of cartridges developed for use in the AR-15 and M-16.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2022
His guns were about 20 calibers long, with these outside proportions: 1st reinforce = 2/7 of the gun's length. 2d reinforce = 1/7 plus 1 caliber. chase = 4/7 less 1 caliber.
From Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America by Albert Manucy
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.
