caliber

American  

[kal-uh-ber] / ˈkæl ə bər /

especially British, calibre

noun

• calibers
  plural

1. the diameter of something of circular section, especially that of the inside of a tube.

   a pipe of three-inch caliber.

2. Ordnance. the diameter of the bore of a gun taken as a unit of measurement.

3. degree of capacity or competence; ability.

   a mathematician of high caliber.

4. degree of merit or excellence; quality.

   the high moral caliber of the era.

   Synonyms:

   distinction, worth

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• calibered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• calibers
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caliber calibers

But that’s not a simple button the Dodgers can press, especially against pitchers of Sale’s caliber.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Or, as the case may be with a performer of his caliber, they don’t — and that has been the highest compliment of all for the 56-year-old Philly native.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

It’s a hefty price, but with someone of that caliber at the most important position in the sport, it means beginning every season with a shot at the Super Bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Pursuing an adaptation of this caliber feels like a losing battle, something a filmmaker does just to prove that they can.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

“Is that the caliber of song they might sing at Juilliard or the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia?”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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

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

A separate .308 caliber version with six barrels also was being offered for sale by the company, and two newer models with still different calibers are expected to be unveiled in the coming months.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 23, 2023

Indeed, since a grip has nothing to do with a gun’s internal mechanics, there’s no reason to include those calibers except to announce it as a product for AR-15s and M16s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2019

It should be borne in mind, also, that being protected by heavy inclined transverse armor, the Destroyer, attacking bows on, can defy ordnance of all calibers.

From Scientific American, Volume XLIII., No. 25, December 18, 1880 A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures. by Various

Related Words

• ability
• competence
• quality
• stature
• talent