measured
Americanadjective
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ascertained or apportioned by measure.
The race was over the course of a measured mile.
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accurately regulated or proportioned.
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regular or uniform, as in movement; rhythmical.
to walk with measured strides.
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deliberate and restrained; careful; carefully weighed or considered.
measured language; measured terms.
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in the form of meter or verse; metrical.
adjective
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determined by measurement
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slow, stately, or leisurely
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carefully considered; deliberate
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of measured
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at measure, -ed 2
Explanation
Things done in a deliberate, rhythmic way are measured. When you're walking toward a deer in the woods, trying not to scare it off, you'll take slow, measured steps. When you meditate, you take measured breaths and pay attention to the inhale and exhale. And your measured strides up the side of a mountain trail will carry you more quickly to the top than short, erratic bursts of walking and stopping. Measured also means "thoughtful" or "careful," like the measured words you use in your delicately worded resignation letter.
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.
AI use is measured in tokens, but the models’ use of tokens at any given task can be unpredictable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
In some cases, graduates of those programs are measured against bachelor’s-degree recipients in the same field and in the same state, in other cases they’re measured against bachelor’s-degree recipients overall.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
They then collected biopsies to look for DNA damage and measured molecular and immune responses in the skin.
From Science Daily ● 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
At Anya’s barn, Ivan measured the hole with his hands.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
