criterion
Americannoun
-
criteria,
plural
-
criterions
plural
noun
-
a standard by which something can be judged or decided
-
philosophy a defining characteristic of something
Usage
Like some other nouns borrowed from the Greek, criterion has both a Greek plural, criteria, and a plural formed on the English pattern, criterions. However, the -s plural is rarely used; the plural ending in -a is the usual form: These are the criteria for the selection of candidates. Though criteria is properly a plural noun, it is increasingly used as a singular noun, most often in speech but also occasionally in edited prose: One criteria is that the candidate must be over 18. This use of criteria as a singular noun is generally considered incorrect.
Criteria, the plural of criterion, is not acceptable as a singular noun: this criterion is not valid; these criteria are not valid
Synonym Usage
See standard.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of criterion
First recorded in 1605–15; from Greek kritḗrion “a standard,” equivalent to kri- variant stem of krī́nein “to separate, decide” + -tērion neuter suffix of means (akin to Latin -tōrium -tory 2 )
Explanation
A criterion is a standard for judging something. If you are holding a cupcake competition, your number one criterion might be the smoothness of frosting. A criterion is a category for judging, but can also be a prerequisite for an achievement. It might be an application requirement for a teaching job that you have taught already for two years. If you haven’t, then we say you haven’t "met the criterion" for job experience. Likewise, if you establish the model for something, say you deliver an exciting, profound graduation speech, we might say you "set the criterion" for future speakers.
Vocabulary lists containing criterion
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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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:
She added that no single criterion is weighted above the others and that Aritzia’s employees reflect a range of backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and body types.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The criterion, external allows the children of parents in receipt of benefits - specifically Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit - to get priority for a pre-school place.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
"Coolness and summer comfort have become a property criterion in their own right," she said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
And allowing the runner-up to pick up the baton after the winner withdrew would be a simple criterion for the party to move forward.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
After slavery, she continues, color persisted as the most obvious and so the most important criterion for establishing a social hierarchy in black society.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Stars are based on 40-some criteria that encompass patient experience surveys and a range of care metrics.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
That’s a tricky decision to make, because the criteria for impactful album sequencing are not at all the same for a live show.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
On top of technical performance metrics, there seems to be a new criteria to judge AI agents by: cuteness.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
Candidates would have to abide by certain expenditure limits and follow strict criteria.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
‘Diner’ fulfills both criteria specified in the question.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
They appreciate not the understandings of one another by such manual and muscular criterions.
From The Wanderer (Volume 3 of 5) or, Female Difficulties by Fanny Burney
Once masters of logic, they passed in review the different criterions; first, that of common sense.
From Bouvard and Pécuchet A Tragi-comic Novel of Bourgeois Life by Gustave Flaubert
Those are the criterions of political changes in England—but, as my conversion is of foreign extraction, I shall not be the richer for it.
From Letters of Horace Walpole — Volume II by Horace Walpole
It is this sentiment which causes Freethought to take the form of Secularism, and exchanges the verbal distractions of conflicting creeds for the clear criterions of moral truth.
From The Limits Of Atheism Or, Why should Sceptics be Outlaws? by George Jacob Holyoake
The plural of phenomenon and criterion are phenomena, criteria, although criterions is sometimes employed.
From Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking by John Hendricks Bechtel
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.
