metric Definition
- 1a system of measurement that uses the meter, gram, and liter as basic units of length, weight, and capacity respectively
- 2relating to or using the metric system
Using metric: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "metric" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The metric system is used in most countries around the world.
Example
The recipe calls for 500 milliliters of water, which is a metric unit of volume.
Example
The car's speedometer displays both miles per hour and kilometers per hour, as the latter is a metric unit of speed.
metric Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with metric
Example
The cargo ship was carrying 10 metric tons of steel.
the process of converting measurements from one system (e.g. imperial) to another (e.g. metric)
Example
I had to do a metric conversion of the recipe's ingredients to make it work with the measuring tools I have.
a prefix added to a unit of measurement to indicate a multiple or fraction of the unit, such as kilo- (1000) or milli- (0.001)
Example
The metric prefix 'centi-' means one-hundredth, so a centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter.
Origins of metric
from French 'métrique', from Greek 'metron', meaning 'measure'
Summary: metric in Brief
The term 'metric' [ˈmetrɪk] refers to a system of measurement that uses the meter, gram, and liter as basic units of length, weight, and capacity respectively. It is widely used around the world and is denoted by phrases like 'metric ton' and 'metric conversion.' 'Metric' can also be an adjective, as in 'The recipe calls for 500 milliliters of water, which is a metric unit of volume.'
