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

For USA Today’s national paper, organic Google search traffic from U.S. users fell by nearly half between June 2025 and June 2026, according to search measurement firm Semrush.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The Bureau of Economic Analysis is tweaking its measurement of the cost of investment management, software and legal services, and it will apply changes retroactively to the past five years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Among them are new evidence for second-generation black holes, the most accurate sky localization ever achieved for a gravitational wave source, and the first measurement of three vibrational modes from a black hole.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

This new record is described as "provisional" by the Met Office, which now has to conduct checks to ensure the measurement is reliable.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

The new star of 1572 was followed by the comet of 1577, and here again parallax measurement placed the comet beyond the moon.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The researchers also examined liver MRI scans and blood protein measurements to look for physical and molecular signs of liver health.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

Freundlich’s ambition notwithstanding, the telescope never did capture the accurate measurements it needed; other scientists would do that.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

They also reported their consumption of fruit juice, whole fruit and other foods and beverages, along with information about body measurements, physical activity and smoking.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

In essence, that could mean AI is less like a self-checkout machine, which automates away the need for cashiers, and more like a laser level that helps a surveyor make accurate measurements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

What Brunelleschi had discovered was not the vanishing-point or the distance-point construction; he had not engaged in elaborate measurements or sophisticated geometrical constructions, even if he had the competence to perform them.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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