measured
Americanadjective
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ascertained or apportioned by measure.
The race was over the course of a measured mile.
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accurately regulated or proportioned.
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regular or uniform, as in movement; rhythmical.
to walk with measured strides.
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deliberate and restrained; careful; carefully weighed or considered.
measured language; measured terms.
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in the form of meter or verse; metrical.
adjective
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determined by measurement
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slow, stately, or leisurely
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carefully considered; deliberate
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of measured
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at measure, -ed 2
Explanation
Things done in a deliberate, rhythmic way are measured. When you're walking toward a deer in the woods, trying not to scare it off, you'll take slow, measured steps. When you meditate, you take measured breaths and pay attention to the inhale and exhale. And your measured strides up the side of a mountain trail will carry you more quickly to the top than short, erratic bursts of walking and stopping. Measured also means "thoughtful" or "careful," like the measured words you use in your delicately worded resignation letter.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The one exception among Big Tech companies is Apple, which is instead expected to see free cash flow rise because of its more measured approach to AI-related capital spending.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The attendance data is measured by "cases" - a patient's single encounter with the walk-in centre service - and "consultations", which is an interaction between the patient and a healthcare professional.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Their practices showed that public safety cannot be measured only by who has legal authority to act in its name.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Their updated estimate comes from a more realistic model of the solar atmosphere and helps resolve a long-standing mismatch in the measured amount of silver across the solar system.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
It was the printing press that established a common knowledge base against which these discoveries could be measured.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
