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REFERENCE

criteria

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //kɹaɪˈtɪɹiə// UK //kɹaɪtˈiəɹɪɐ// cri·te·ria Academic Dialect

n. the rules or standards you use to judge something or make a decision. For example, if you buy a car, your criteria might be price and safety.

n. the standards, rules, or tests on which a judgment or decision is based. This is the plural form of 'criterion', though it is frequently used as a collective singular in informal speech.


SIMPLE

The main criteria for the job are experience and a degree.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee established strict criteria to ensure that only the most qualified candidates reached the interview stage.

COMPLEX

While the technical criteria for the project were met, the aesthetic results failed to satisfy the client's vision for a modern corporate headquarters.

Synonyms
Origin

The plural form of criterion, formed according to the Ancient Greek -ον (-on) → -α (-a) pluralisation pattern.

Usage

Technically the plural of 'criterion', but often functions as an uncountable collective noun in non-academic contexts. In formal writing, it should always take a plural verb.

Pitfall

this criteria isthese criteria areIn academic writing, 'criteria' is plural; use 'criterion' for a single standard.

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