metric ton

noun

1. a unit of 1000 kilograms, equivalent to 2204.62 avoirdupois pounds.

metric ton

noun

1. another name (not in technical use) for tonne

metric ton

1. A unit of mass or weight in the metric system equal to 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds).

2. See Table at measurement

Word History and Origins

Origin of metric ton¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

An October 2025 deal promised China would buy 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans a year, but relief has proved mostly symbolic.

Read more on Salon

Ghana exports an average of 78,000 metric tons of cocoa beans to the United States annually.

Read more on Barron's

The regulation is expected to prevent the release of 17,000 metric tons of methane annually — an amount capable of warming the atmosphere as much as 110,000 gas-fired cars driven for a year.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The current New Glenn vehicle is capable of carrying 45 metric tons of payload to low Earth orbit, which means that it is classified as a heavy-lift vehicle.

Read more on MarketWatch

In a report, BMI says it now expects average 2025 prices for Chinese lithium carbonate at $10,100/metric ton and for Chinese lithium hydroxide at $9,700/ton, both higher than previously envisaged.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal