benchmark
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a level of quality that other things are compared to.
n.a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed.
Simple“The new safety rules will become the benchmark for all factories in the country.”
In context“The company's customer service department has set a new benchmark for efficiency that its competitors are now struggling to match.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'set', 'establish', or 'reach'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a test used to measure how well a computer or a piece of software works.
n.a standardised problem or test used to evaluate the performance of hardware or software.
Simple“The latest benchmark shows that the new processor is twice as fast as the old one.”
In context“Independent reviewers ran a series of benchmarks to determine if the graphics card could handle high-resolution rendering without overheating.”
UsageCommonly used as a countable noun in technical reports.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a mark made on a rock or building by a surveyor to show the exact height of that spot.
n.a surveyor's mark on a permanent fixed object, such as a stone or building, used as a reference point in determining elevations.
Simple“The surveyor looked for the old benchmark carved into the base of the church tower.”
In context“The historical survey relied on a series of brass benchmarks embedded in the city's oldest stone bridges to calculate the flood risk accurately.”
Synonymsreference pointmarker - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to test something to see how it compares to a standard or to other similar things.
v.to evaluate or check something by comparison with a standard.
Simple“We need to benchmark our prices against those of our main competitors.”
In context“The agency was hired to benchmark the university's research output against other leading institutions in the region.”
UsageOften used with 'against'.
From bench + mark. First use appears c. 1842. Originally a mark cut into a stone by land surveyors to secure a bench (from land surveying jargon in the 19th century, meaning a type of bracket), to mount measuring equipment. The figurative sense first appears c. 1884.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.