benchmarking

American  

[bench-mahr-king] / ˈbɛntʃˌmɑr kɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or practice of measuring something against a standard, or of testing it in order to develop such a standard.

   The system measures nursing outcomes on a numerical scale, facilitating the benchmarking of nursing practices across facilities and jurisdictions.

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Etymology

Origin of benchmarking

First recorded in 1965–70; benchmark ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

It is difficult to directly compare AI chips, which can produce very different benchmarking results under different configurations.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Uefa's latest benchmarking report says that Chelsea made a pre-tax loss of £355m for 2024-25.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

IPSA's pay decision for 2026-27 includes a 1.5% benchmarking adjustment, as well as a 3.5% cost-of-living increase.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

This year’s benchmarking process reduced total job growth in 2025 to 181,000 from a previously reported 584,000.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

He’s interested in cutting-edge AI research, the war for talent in Silicon Valley, safety and performance benchmarking, forecasting and the revolution under way at the world’s biggest technology companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026