What does "metric" mean?

1. (a standard of measurement) a standard or way to measure how well something is doing. 2. (mathematical distance) a mathematical rule used to find the distance between two points. 3. (relating to the decimal system) relating to the system of measurement that uses meters, grams, and liters. 4. (relating to musical rhythm) relating to the rhythm or beat of a piece of music. 5. (to measure data) to collect and study data to see how well a process is working.

How do you use "metric"?

Often used with 'key' or 'performance'. Used as a countable noun in mathematical contexts.

metric

n. · adj. · v.

US //ˈmɛtɹɪk// UK //mˈɛtɹɪk// met·ric

1 a standard of measurement (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

a standard or way to measure how well something is doing.

a standard of measurement for assessing or tracking performance, progress, or quality, particularly in business or engineering.

Example

The company uses customer satisfaction as a key metric for success.

Example

The marketing department analyzed several engagement metrics, including click-through rates and average session duration, to evaluate the campaign's effectiveness.

Usage

Often used with 'key' or 'performance'.
2 mathematical distance (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Math

a mathematical rule used to find the distance between two points.

a function that defines a distance between each pair of elements of a set, satisfying specific formal conditions like the triangle inequality.

Example

In this geometry, we use a different metric to calculate the distance.

Example

The researcher defined a custom metric on the data set to better represent the similarities between complex genomic sequences.

Usage

Used as a countable noun in mathematical contexts.
- distance function

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3 relating to the decimal system (adj.)
B1 Intermediate Science

relating to the system of measurement that uses meters, grams, and liters.

relating to the decimal-based system of weights and measures, specifically the International System of Units (SI).

Example

Most countries in the world use the metric system for daily life.

Example

The transition from imperial to metric units in the aerospace industry required a complete recalibration of all manufacturing equipment.
- decimal
- imperial
4 relating to musical rhythm (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Music

relating to the rhythm or beat of a piece of music.

relating to the meter or rhythmic structure of a musical composition or poetic verse.

Example

The song has a complex metric structure that makes it hard to dance to.

Example

The composer experimented with metric modulation, shifting the pulse of the piece without changing the actual tempo of the performance.
- rhythmic
- metrical
5 to measure data (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Informal Computing

to collect and study data to see how well a process is working.

to measure or analyze statistical data regarding the quality or effectiveness of a specific process.

Example

We need to metric the new software to see if it is faster.

Example

The DevOps team decided to metric every stage of the deployment pipeline to identify where the latency was occurring.

Origin

From French métrique (1864), from New Latin metricus (“pertaining to the system based on the meter”), from metrum (“a meter”); see meter. By surface analysis, metre + -ic.