yardstick

American  

[yahrd-stik] / ˈyɑrdˌstɪk /

noun

1. a stick a yard long, commonly marked with subdivisions, used for measuring.

2. any standard of measurement or judgment.

   Test scores are not the only yardstick of academic achievement.

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yardstick British  

/ ˈjɑːdˌstɪk /

noun

1. a measure or standard used for comparison

   on what kind of yardstick is he basing his criticism?

2. a graduated stick, one yard long, used for measurement

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Etymology

Origin of yardstick

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; yard ¹ + stick ¹

Example Sentences

According to this yardstick, China’s economy now far exceeds the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

The result may not be the yardstick for England.

From BBC

One common yardstick is the PEG ratio, which divides a company’s price/earnings multiple by its expected earnings growth rate.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Shakespeare was still the yardstick by which any actor proved himself.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• barometer
• benchmark
• criterion
• indicator
• norm