measured
Americanadjective
-
ascertained or apportioned by measure.
The race was over the course of a measured mile.
-
accurately regulated or proportioned.
-
regular or uniform, as in movement; rhythmical.
to walk with measured strides.
-
deliberate and restrained; careful; carefully weighed or considered.
measured language; measured terms.
-
in the form of meter or verse; metrical.
adjective
-
determined by measurement
-
slow, stately, or leisurely
-
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.
For now, the most important message was, they added, a measured response signaling to Moscow that nothing Russia does will shake Berlin’s support for Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
“The inside is arranged with the measured confidence of Spanish Colonial design at its most resolved, delightfully adding a secret passageway to a speakeasy behind a combination vault,” it states.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
After each month, participants took a test that measured different aspects of their mental capacity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
This was measured by survey questions about students’ feelings of happiness, excitement, sadness and frustration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
I selected the materials for a suit, with the assistance of Mr. Trabb’s judgment, and re-entered the parlour to be measured.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
