noun
-
a measure or standard used for comparison
on what kind of yardstick is he basing his criticism?
-
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.
It produces a result that is nearly a full percentage point lower than the Fed’s currently preferred yardstick.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
Vitinha has already been mentioned several times in this column because he happens to be the yardstick for the best midfielders on the continent.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Oil prices have jumped since the start of the conflict, with Brent, the global yardstick, trading at around $89 a barrel, up from around $72 last week.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 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
We were, of course, at the best yardstick.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
