measurement

American  

[mezh-er-muhnt] / ˈmɛʒ ər mənt /

noun

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

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

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

In another, corporations and other users would be taxed on their consumption of tokens, AI’s key unit of measurement.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

This measurement, which has critics and fans, discards the categories with the most extreme inflation readings on both the high and low ends.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

In the 1980s, researchers began developing theories in which wavefunction collapse happens spontaneously, without requiring observation or measurement.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2026

The deal for Indicor’s testing and measurement businesses would value them at around $5 billion, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

The two tables opposite summarize the history of these two sorts of measurement.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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