measure
Americannoun
-
measures
plural
-
a unit or standard of measurement.
weights and measures.
-
a system of measurement.
liquid measure.
-
an instrument, as a graduated rod or a container of standard capacity, for measuring.
-
the extent, dimensions, quantity, etc., of something, ascertained especially by comparison with a standard.
to take the measure of a thing.
-
the act or process of ascertaining the extent, dimensions, or quantity of something; measurement.
-
a definite or known quantity measured out.
to drink a measure of wine.
-
any standard of comparison, estimation, or judgment.
-
a quantity, degree, or proportion.
in large measure.
-
a moderate amount.
to live with a measure of enjoyment.
-
a limit, or an extent or degree not to be exceeded.
to know no measure.
-
reasonable bounds or limits.
to know no measure.
-
a legislative bill or enactment.
The senate passed the new measure.
-
Usually measures. actions or procedures intended as a means to an end.
to take measures to avert suspicion.
-
a short rhythmical movement or arrangement, as in poetry or music.
-
a particular kind of such arrangement.
-
a metrical unit.
-
Music.
-
the music contained between two bar lines; bar.
-
an air or melody.
-
a slow, dignified dance.
-
-
Printing. the width, measured in ems or picas, to which a column or page of printed matter is set.
-
Geology. measures, beds; strata.
-
Mathematics. an abstraction of the property of length; a set function assigning to each set of a collection of sets a value, usually having the properties of sigma finiteness and finite additivity, the functional value of the whole collection being greater than zero.
verb (used with object)
-
measures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
measured,
past participle, past
-
measuring
present participle
-
to ascertain the extent, dimensions, quantity, capacity, etc., of, especially by comparison with a standard.
to measure boundaries.
-
to mark off or deal out by way of measurement (often followed by off orout ).
to measure out two cups of flour.
-
to estimate the relative amount, value, etc., of, by comparison with some standard.
to measure the importance of an issue.
-
to judge or appraise by comparison with something or someone else.
to measure Corneille against Racine.
-
to serve as the measure of.
Her sacrifices measure the degree of her love.
-
to adjust or proportion.
to measure a portion to one's liking.
-
to bring into comparison or competition.
to measure one's strength with another's.
-
to travel over; traverse.
to measure a room with great strides.
verb (used without object)
-
measures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
measured,
past participle, past
-
measuring
present participle
-
to take measurements.
-
to admit of measurement.
-
to be of a specified measure.
verb phrase
idioms
-
beyond measure, too much to be reckoned; immeasurably; extremely.
The suffering that they endured was beyond measure.
-
in a / some measure, to some extent or degree.
His conclusion is justified in some measure.
-
for good measure, as an extra.
In addition to dessert, they served chocolates for good measure.
-
measure one's length, to fall or be knocked down; fall flat.
He missed a step in the dark and measured his length at the bottom.
-
measure swords,
-
to test one's preparedness for a contest or encounter.
-
to battle with swords.
-
to fight, compete, etc..
The producer of the poorly reviewed show decided to measure swords with the critics.
-
-
have / take someone's measure, to judge or assess someone's character, capabilities, etc.; size up.
During their conversation she was taking his measure as a prospective employee.
noun
-
the extent, quantity, amount, or degree of something, as determined by measurement or calculation
-
a device for measuring distance, volume, etc, such as a graduated scale or container
-
a system of measurement
give the size in metric measure
-
a standard used in a system of measurements
the international prototype kilogram is the measure of mass in SI units
-
a specific or standard amount of something
a measure of grain
short measure
full measure
-
a basis or standard for comparison
his work was the measure of all subsequent attempts
-
reasonable or permissible limit or bounds
we must keep it within measure
-
degree or extent (often in phrases such as in some measure, in a measure, etc)
they gave him a measure of freedom
-
(often plural) a particular action intended to achieve an effect
they took measures to prevent his leaving
-
a legislative bill, act, or resolution
to bring in a measure
-
music another word for bar 1
-
prosody poetic rhythm or cadence; metre
-
a metrical foot
-
poetic a melody or tune
-
the act of measuring; measurement
-
archaic a dance
-
printing the width of a page or column of type
-
as an extra precaution or beyond requirements
-
to assess the nature, character, quality, etc, of someone
-
(of clothes) made to fit an individual purchaser
verb
-
to determine the size, amount, etc, of by measurement
-
(intr) to make a measurement or measurements
-
(tr) to estimate or determine
I measured his strength to be greater than mine
-
(tr) to function as a measurement of
the ohm measures electrical resistance
-
(tr) to bring into competition or conflict
he measured his strength against that of his opponent
-
(intr) to be as specified in extent, amount, etc
the room measures six feet
-
(tr) to travel or move over as if measuring
-
(tr) to adjust or choose
he measured his approach to suit the character of his client
-
(intr) to allow or yield to measurement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
measurernoun
-
mismeasureverb
-
intermeasureverb (used with object)
-
outmeasureverb (used with object)
-
premeasureverb (used with object)
-
remeasureverb (used with object)
-
undermeasureverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
measuresimple
-
measuressimple
-
have measuredperfect
-
has measuredperfect
-
am measuringprogressive
-
are measuringprogressive
-
is measuringprogressive
-
have been measuringperfect progressive
-
has been measuringperfect progressive
Past
-
measuredsimple
-
had measuredperfect
-
was measuringprogressive
-
were measuringprogressive
-
had been measuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of measure
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mesure, from Middle French, from Latin mēnsūra, equivalent to mēns(us), past participle of mētīrī “to measure, mete” + -ūra -ure
Explanation
To measure something is to figure out how much of it is there. A measure can also be a step toward a goal: take measures to ensure you don't flunk an exam by cracking the books. You can take measures to improve your health: limit sweets, get enough rest, get some exercise, and wash your hands to avoid the spread of germs. The noun also means a standard for comparison. You can measure your time against the good you will do if you volunteer to help out a child via a mentoring program.
Vocabulary lists containing measure
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Music - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The measure comes as smart glasses -- especially those marketed by Meta under popular brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley -- are causing growing concern in Europe.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Companies started to realize they need to be more careful about counting their tokens, the units that measure AI use.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Recruitment firms often say applicants could instead focus on their skills and experience, so those are used as a measure of what they should be paid, not their salary history.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Astronomers use the Hubble constant as a measure of how fast the universe is expanding.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
Does the music feel like it has four beats in every measure, or does it go by so quickly that you only have time to tap your foot twice in a measure?
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Police arrived at the actor’s home along with paramedics and “life-saving measures were administered but were unsuccessful,” police said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The coroner said he will be issuing a report to the government out of concern about a risk to other people under the terrorism control measures.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
"It appears that measures are being implemented to quarantine any potential contacts and prevent any onward transmission," Malick Gibani, clinical associate professor in bacterial vaccinology, Imperial College London, said in a commentary.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
“I applaud this administration,” he said, “provided these measures are implemented responsibly, in good faith, and free of conflicts of interest, corruption, and ulterior motives.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The extra measures were essential to keeping workers and the people of Japan safe, but they made the work of cleaning up the mess much more difficult.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Its success should be measured in what it has delivered directly and what it has unlocked.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
“While the shock is too large to look through, we view a measured response as appropriate to keep inflation in check,” ECB President Christine Lagarde told EU lawmakers on Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
France, Germany, Italy and Japan — when measured in U.S. dollars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Optimism for a hold has been given a shot in the arm this week by some officials calling for a measured approach.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
It had a weight to it that couldn't be measured in ounces.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
Adult checkups consist of measuring vitals and doing routine tests, usually specific to your age.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Two of our best ways of measuring the cosmic expansion rate, the Hubble constant, give answers that are stubbornly at odds.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
There was a camera rolling, electrodes measuring heart and respiratory rates.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
The project is designed to bring more natural light into the Grade II-listed station, with engineers measuring the improvement.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
I went over in my mind the different steps, looked at the vials of chemicals, the measuring spoons.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
