# benchmark

/ˈbɛntʃˌmɑɹk/ (US) · /bˈɛntʃmɑːk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/benchmark
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a standard for comparison

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

a level of quality that other things are compared to.

For teachers: a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed.

- The new safety rules will become the benchmark for all factories in the country.
- The company's customer service department has set a new benchmark for efficiency that its competitors are now struggling to match.

Usage: Often used with the verbs 'set', 'establish', or 'reach'.

### 2. computing performance test

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a test used to measure how well a computer or a piece of software works.

For teachers: a standardised problem or test used to evaluate the performance of hardware or software.

- The latest benchmark shows that the new processor is twice as fast as the old one.
- Independent reviewers ran a series of benchmarks to determine if the graphics card could handle high-resolution rendering without overheating.

Usage: Commonly used as a countable noun in technical reports.

### 3. surveying mark

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a mark made on a rock or building by a surveyor to show the exact height of that spot.

For teachers: a surveyor's mark on a permanent fixed object, such as a stone or building, used as a reference point in determining elevations.

- The surveyor looked for the old benchmark carved into the base of the church tower.
- The historical survey relied on a series of brass benchmarks embedded in the city's oldest stone bridges to calculate the flood risk accurately.

### 4. to evaluate against a standard

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

to test something to see how it compares to a standard or to other similar things.

For teachers: to evaluate or check something by comparison with a standard.

- We need to benchmark our prices against those of our main competitors.
- The agency was hired to benchmark the university's research output against other leading institutions in the region.

Usage: Often used with 'against'.

## Examples

- This new phone sets a high benchmark for battery life.
- The company uses last year's sales figures as a benchmark for measuring the success of the current marketing campaign.
- The software engineers ran a series of rigorous benchmarks to determine whether the recent kernel update improved processing speeds across the server cluster.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.