-metric

¹ American  

1. a combining form occurring in adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -meter (barometric ) or -metry (geometric ).

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metric ² American  

[me-trik] / ˈmɛ trɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to the meter or to the metric system.

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noun

1. Often metrics a standard for measuring or evaluating something, especially one that uses figures or statistics.

   new metrics for gauging an organization’s diversity;

   pretty good by any metric.

metric ³ American  

[me-trik] / ˈmɛ trɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to distance.

   metric geometry.

2. metrical.

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noun

1. Mathematics. a nonnegative real-valued function having properties analogous to those of the distance between points on a real line, as the distance between two points being independent of the order of the points, the distance between two points being zero if, and only if, the two points coincide, and the distance between two points being less than or equal to the sum of the distances from each point to an arbitrary third point.

metric British  

/ ˈmɛtrɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the metre or metric system

2. maths denoting or relating to a set containing pairs of points for each of which a non-negative real number ρ( x, y ) (the distance) can be defined, satisfying specific conditions

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noun

1. maths the function ρ( x, y ) satisfying the conditions of membership of such a set (a metric space )

metric Scientific  

/ mĕt′rĭk /

1. Relating to the meter or the metric system.

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Usage

What does -metric mean? The combining form -metric is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to a measure or the process of measurement.” It denotes the adjective form of words ending in -meter and -metry. The form -metric is often used in scientific terms.The form -metric comes from Greek -metrikos, meaning “of or relating to measure.” Find out how -metrikos is related to diameter, isometric, and metronome at our entries for these words.What are variants of -metric?While -metric doesn't have any variants, it's related to the form -metrics, as in biometrics. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for -metrics.

Etymology

Origin of -metric¹

< Greek -metrikos; meter ², -metry, -ic

Origin of metric¹

1860–65; < French métrique, derivative of mètre meter ¹; -ic

Origin of metric¹

1750–60; < Latin metricus < Greek metrikós of, relating to measuring. See meter ², -ic

Example Sentences

The relevant metric isn’t the deficit alone.

From The Wall Street Journal

The guidance on that metric, which measures revenue per available cruise day, “is likely just enough to keep the buy-side happy,” Clarke wrote.

From MarketWatch

Statistics Canada data shows freight traffic from U.S. rail connections declined year-over-year for a ninth consecutive month in October, falling 8.6% to 3.2 million metric tons.

From The Wall Street Journal

Scientists who study glaciers tend to focus on ice volume loss rather than individual glaciers, says glaciologist Lander Van Tricht, because that metric has the more dire global consequences.

From Slate

Headline trading profit—a company preferred metric—was 159 million pounds compared with 170 million pounds.

From The Wall Street Journal