caliber
Americannoun
-
calibers
plural
-
the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.
a pipe of three-inch caliber.
-
Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.
-
degree of capacity or competence; ability.
a mathematician of high caliber.
-
degree of merit or excellence; quality.
the high moral caliber of the era.
- Synonyms:
- distinction, worth
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of caliber
1560–70; variant of calibre < Middle French ≪ Arabic qālib mold, last < Greek kālápous shoe last, equivalent to kāla- combining form of kâlon wood + poús foot ( see -pod)
Explanation
Caliber is a kind of measurement that can describe either the level of a person’s ability or the diameter of a gun barrel. Your dad might be a high-caliber marksman, especially when using his .22 caliber rifle. Caliber describes the level of ability a person has achieved in a profession. For example, you probably wouldn't want to hire a low-caliber plumber when the toilet breaks. The caliber of an institution or a program describes the height of its standards. You might be planning to attend the high-caliber veterinary program at your state university. Caliber is also the measurement of the width inside a gun barrel, and its corresponding bullets.
Vocabulary lists containing caliber
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Code Talker
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Properties of this caliber, with such a rich legacy and expansive acreage, seldom become available.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
With only a handful of lyrics, she revisits a million lifetimes replete with monumental change and insights only an artist of her caliber could convey.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
But in 2006, with the league now firmly established, it set its sights on a different caliber of player.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Performers of Prince and Lamar’s caliber enjoy the spoils of their popularity.
From Salon ● May 16, 2026
I wanted to understand the issues under discussion, evaluate the arguments, see the caliber of the men involved.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The Czechoslovak Group, which acquired a German nitrocellulose facility, aims to secure the entire supply chain for artillery shells of various calibers within company facilities across several European countries by year-end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
When deputies arrived on the scene of the darkened rural area among a vineyard, a nursery and a farm, they said they could hear various calibers of weapons being fired.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2024
There are thousands of "elite" teams like that city's Scorpion unit and they come in all calibers, shapes, and sizes.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2023
Was it pressing, or are the calibers of the tiers an issue more pressing?
From Washington Post ● Dec. 31, 2020
It was between 40 and 44 calibers long!
From Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America by Manucy, Albert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
