measurement

American  

[mezh-er-muhnt] / ˈmɛʒ ər mənt /

noun

• measurements
  plural

1. the act of measuring.

2. a measured dimension.

3. extent, size, etc., ascertained by measuring.

4. a system of measuring or measures.

   liquid measurement.

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measurement British  

/ ˈmɛʒəmənt /

noun

1. the act or process of measuring

2. an amount, extent, or size determined by measuring

3. a system of measures based on a particular standard

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measurement Scientific  

/ mĕzh′ər-mənt /

1. A method of determining quantity, capacity, or dimension. Several systems of measurement exist, each one comprising units whose amounts have been arbitrarily set and agreed upon by specific groups. While the United States Customary System remains the most commonly used system of measurement in the United States, the International System is accepted all over the world as the standard system for use in science.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mismeasurement
  noun
• premeasurement
  noun
• remeasurement
  noun
• self-measurement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• measurements
  plural

Etymology

Origin of measurement

First recorded in 1745–55; measure + -ment

Explanation

Taking a measurement involves figuring out how long something is or what it weighs or how fast it is. Measurements usually require something like a ruler or a stop watch. When you step on the scale to check your weight, you're getting a measurement. When you pull out a ruler and measure a piece of paper, you're making a measurement. Astronomers make measurements of how far away other planets and stars are. In the Olympics, a timer does a measurement of who's fastest, to see who won a race. Anytime you're using a measuring device to come up with a number for something, you're taking a measurement.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

measurement measurements

The group received $2 million to develop a cosmological measurement technique known as kinematic lensing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

At one point, the gage measurement on that stretch of the river reached below three inches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Previous research in this area has used a measurement called wet-bulb temperature, which incorporates humidity to estimate how much heat a human body can withstand.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

And according to lead author Jordan Etkin, “The very people who self-select into measurement are the ones who are hurt by it.”

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

One could predict the approximate number of times that the result would be A or B, but one could not predict the specific result of an individual measurement.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Lead author Dr. Phil Wiseman, from the University of Southampton, said the latest analysis supports the measurements that astronomers have relied on for years.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

But recent, more precise measurements of dark energy’s strength hint that it might actually be decreasing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

"When we measure the gravitational acceleration over the rock glacier, we see a larger decrease in that gravitational acceleration as we make measurements over areas with thicker ice."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Traditionally, measurements were performed by crews on ships who would sample water columns for data on salinity, said Heide-Jorgensen.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Dr. Kane and his twenty-man crew named Canada’s Kennedy Channel, took geographical measurements, and charted iceberg-filled waters further north through the summer of 1853.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• amount
• analysis
• appraisal
• assessment
• density
• dimension
• evaluation
• frequency
• height
• measure
• size
• survey
• weight