measured
Americanadjective
-
ascertained or apportioned by measure.
The race was over the course of a measured mile.
-
accurately regulated or proportioned.
-
regular or uniform, as in movement; rhythmical.
to walk with measured strides.
-
deliberate and restrained; careful; carefully weighed or considered.
measured language; measured terms.
-
in the form of meter or verse; metrical.
adjective
-
determined by measurement
-
slow, stately, or leisurely
-
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.
Where revenue or regulatory compliance depends on a measured quantity, companies should disclose how their instruments trace back to a national standard and state a margin of error.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
“Faithfulness to our values is measured by how we act when it’s most difficult to uphold them,” Newsom wrote in a letter to Californians announcing his decision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
It must also be measured by what happens to those who never chase the tune.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
A driver's team-mate is also their biggest rival - the only person with the same equipment so the only driver against which they can be directly measured.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
It existed in a way that couldn’t be measured.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
