criterion
Americannoun
plural
criteria, criterionsnoun
-
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
Related Words
See standard.
Other Word Forms
- criterial adjective
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 )
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.
The Warner Bros board said the offer was not in the best interests of shareholders and had not met the criteria of a "superior proposal".
From BBC
Their recommendations include revising eligibility criteria, creating clearer pathways to care that account for ethnicity and under-diagnosis, speeding up the national rollout, and expanding digital health services in areas with limited specialist support.
From Science Daily
"Our findings could also be used to inform diagnosis criteria and disease management strategies across cardiology and endocrinology, improving care for millions of patients."
From Science Daily
Not one of these so-called first-impression patterns comes close to satisfying traditional criteria of statistical significance, as you can see from the chart above.
From MarketWatch
Birmingham City Council said most of its schools fill up with "on-time applications that met their admissions criteria".
From BBC
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.
