calibration
Americannoun
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the act or process of determining, checking, or rectifying the settings or gradations on a measuring instrument or other piece of precision equipment; the resulting condition of the equipment.
I took the copter down to the beach to do the compass calibration, so as to be absolutely sure there was no metal around when I did it.
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the act or process of marking a measuring instrument with the necessary gradations; the resulting markings or settings.
Our measuring cups are designed with calibrations on the side so that exact measurement can be given.
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the act or process of planning or devising something carefully so as to have a precise use, application, appeal, etc..
He advocated for the calibration of fiscal policy to balance growth needs and minimize debt.
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the act or process of determining the correct range for an artillery gun, mortar, etc., by observing where the projectile hits.
The field regiment moved to a deserted area to carry out a shoot for the calibration of every gun.
Other Word Forms
- intercalibration noun
Etymology
Origin of calibration
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.
The Ising family, named after a landmark mathematical model, “run the world’s best quantum processor calibration and allow researchers to tackle larger, more complex problems,” Nvidia said.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
The problem with Rogue Machine’s production is one of calibration.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Power management, temperature control, automated calibration, and system-level coordination present additional challenges that will grow as quantum systems become more complex.
From Science Daily • Jan. 27, 2026
Life in such an environment required careful calibration: How Jewish should one be?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
In an attempt to reduce confusion, all dates in this book are ordinary calendar dates—that is, radiocarbon dates corrected by the most recent calibration.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
