metric

¹

[me-trik]

adjective

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

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

²

[me-trik]

adjective

1. pertaining to distance.

   metric geometry.

2. metrical.

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

³

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

metric

/ 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

noun

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

metric

1. Relating to the meter or the metric system.

Word History and Origins

Origin of metric¹

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

Origin of metric²

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

Origin of metric³

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

Example Sentences

The People’s Bank of China has added 21 metric tons of gold to its reserves this year, based on calculations from Reuters, bringing its overall total to just over 2,300 tons.

Read more on Barron's

This week, the stock pulled back to its 21-day exponential moving average—a metric that places emphasis on recent price changes—for the first time since moving decisively upward from $260.97 last month.

Read more on Barron's

“You’ve got a risk off asset generally historically in gold, and you’ve got a very much risk-on appetite metric in Bitcoin.”

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About 390,000 metric tons External link of rare-earth oxides were mined in 2024.

Read more on Barron's

By one CBO metric, net interest on the public debt topped $1 trillion for the first time—more than the country spent on Medicare or defense.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

When To Use

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.