recalibrate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
to correct or adjust the gradations or settings on (a measuring instrument, sensor, or other piece of precision equipment).
If your battery fuel gauge is still inaccurate after following these steps, you may need to manually recalibrate the gauge.
-
to reexamine (one’s thinking, a plan, a system of values, etc.) and correct it in accord with a new understanding or purpose.
This is a government that's out of touch and refusing to recalibrate after getting a clear message from voters.
Etymology
Origin of recalibrate
Explanation
To recalibrate is to adjust the settings on a device that precisely measures, senses, or moves. You might have to recalibrate your thermostat in order for it to accurately tell you how hot or cold it is in your apartment. When a precision instrument is first set up, it's finely adjusted to be as accurate as possible, a process called calibration. Whenever it needs fine-tuning, someone must recalibrate it, bringing it back to accuracy. This is true for scientific instruments, bathroom scales, barometers, and more. If your baking scale seems off, you may want to recalibrate it. This word is from calibrate, originally "determine the caliber of," a reference to measuring the inside of a gun barrel."
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.
See Examples For:
Media companies, which often are those backing sources, have also had to recalibrate.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
“I think this helps us recalibrate our brains ... to connect with others and take notice of what’s going on around us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
“We need to recalibrate policy to get us in a better position that more evenly balances risks to both components of our dual mandate,” Barr said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
"I'm gonna take the time to recalibrate, fine-tune things & whatnot. So fear not, I'll be back, & in the meantime I'll be rooting for my teammates near & far."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
My own brain was much harder to recalibrate.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
The league once again has not attributed this to conflict in the region, instead saying the calendar would be recalibrated after the cancellation of the Asian Cup to achieve "a more balanced distribution of fixtures".
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
To test the recalibrated method, the researchers examined eight samples of sanidine, a potassium-containing volcanic mineral from Vesuvius.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
Treasury yields eased as oil prices fell 3% and markets recalibrated the outlook for U.S. interest rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Other companies have recalibrated their relationships with Amazon.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026
Maybe his medication had recalibrated his brain right away, and he was back to being a high-functioning Übermensch in no time.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
There’s a balance every politician must strike: retaining one’s authenticity while remaining open to recalibrating policy positions in response to new evidence or simply evolving, or to match shifts in the public mood.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
The sharp move higher in oil prices on Monday has U.S. traders recalibrating their interest-rate outlook for the rest of 2026.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
After recalibrating the data, the team found that emissions from land had been significantly overestimated in earlier models, but even after correction, land remained the dominant source.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
He later wrote, in a social media post, that Canada was "recalibrating" its relationship with China, "strategically, pragmatically, and decisively".
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
My mind must still be recalibrating from the Cog removal.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
