noun
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a measure or standard used for comparison
on what kind of yardstick is he basing his criticism?
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a graduated stick, one yard long, used for measurement
Etymology
Origin of yardstick
Explanation
A long tool used to measure lengths of up to three feet is called a yardstick. A carpenter carefully measuring lengths of wood before cutting might use a yardstick. A yardstick is basically a long ruler — three times as long, to be specific — with units marked in inches. Most are made of wood, sometimes hinged so they can be folded, and their size makes them ideal for specific tasks in construction and carpentry. The word yardstick is also used figuratively to mean "standard or benchmark." So you might say that your yardstick for success as a gardener is how many tomatoes you pick over the summer.
Vocabulary lists containing yardstick
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 result may not be the yardstick for England.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
And by any yardstick, from infant mortality to life expectancy, America occupies the cellar among peer countries, including several that many would consider to be inferior.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026
It now expects an operating loss of one billion euros and a fall in its preferred "net bookings" revenue yardstick to around 1.5 billion euros.
From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026
By the yardstick of its own goals, the nation’s second-largest school system is likely to fall short by nearly every parameter — taking in sample measures of literacy, math and social emotional learning.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026
I understood already that I’d be measured by a different yardstick.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
