Criteria — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /krī-ˈtir-ē-ən/ (noun) /krī-ˈtir-ē-əm/ (noun) cri·te·ri·on

Meaning & Definition of Criteria

Criteria (noun)

  1. a standard on which a judgment or decision may be based
  2. a characterizing mark or trait
  3. a bicycle race of a specified number of laps on a closed course over public roads closed to normal traffic

Criteria (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared

    "one criterion for grading these essays will be their conformity to the rules of traditional grammar"

    similar: barometers, bars, benchmarks, gold standards, grades, marks, measures, metrics, pars, standards, touchstones, yardsticks
    related: cases, examples, instances, averages, norms, rules, acmes, apexes, meridians, peaks, pinnacles, summits, zeniths
    near: aberrations, abnormalities, deviations

  2. something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind

    "an exceptionally high degree of physical risk is the preeminent criterion of an extreme sport"

    similar: affections, attributes, attributions, characteristics, characters, diagnostics, differentiae, features, fingerprints, hallmarks, markers, marks, notes, particularities, peculiarities, points, properties, qualities, specifics, stamps, touches, traits
    related: badges, indications, signs, emblems, symbols, tokens, charms, graces, excellences, merits, virtues, eccentricities, idiosyncrasies, oddities, quirks, individualities, singularities

Related Entry: Criterion (noun)

Criterion is a different word from Criteria. The synonyms below are for criterion, not for criteria.

  1. something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared

    "one criterion for grading these essays will be their conformity to the rules of traditional grammar"

    similar: bar, barometer, benchmark, gold standard, grade, mark, measure, metric, par, standard, touchstone, yardstick
    related: case, example, instance, average, norm, rule, acme, apex, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, zenith
    near: aberration, abnormality, deviation

  2. something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind

    "an exceptionally high degree of physical risk is the preeminent criterion of an extreme sport"

    similar: affection, attribute, attribution, character, characteristic, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait
    related: badge, indication, sign, emblem, symbol, token, charm, grace, excellence, merit, virtue, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk, individuality, singularity, uniqueness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Criteria

The most common words with a similar meaning to Criteria:

barometers, bars, benchmarks, gold standards, grades, marks, measures, metrics, pars, standards, touchstones, yardsticks, affections, attributes, attributions, characteristics, characters, diagnostics, differentiae, features, fingerprints, hallmarks, markers, notes, particularities, peculiarities, points, properties, qualities, specifics, stamps, touches, traits

Related Words for Criteria

cases, examples, instances, averages, norms, rules, acmes, apexes, meridians, peaks, pinnacles, summits, zeniths, badges, indications, signs, emblems, symbols, tokens, charms, graces, excellences, merits, virtues, eccentricities, idiosyncrasies, oddities, quirks, individualities, singularities

Near Antonyms of Criteria

aberrations, abnormalities, deviations

Word Forms of Criteria

Inflections: criterions

Origin & Etymology of Criteria

borrowed from Greek kritḗrion, from kri-, variant stem of krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide, judge" + -tērion, suffix of instruments certain:1

First known use: 1622

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Criteria

Frequently Asked Questions about Criteria

What does "Criteria" mean?

"Criteria" means a standard on which a judgment or decision may be based. As a noun, it is defined as: a standard on which a judgment or decision may be based. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Criteria"?

Other words for "Criteria" include barometers, bars, benchmarks, gold standards, grades, marks, measures and metrics. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Criteria" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Criteria"?

There are 63 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Criteria". Common alternatives include barometers, bars, benchmarks, gold standards, grades, marks, measures, metrics, pars and standards.

How do you use "Criteria" in a sentence?

Examples of "Criteria" in a sentence: "one criterion for grading these essays will be their conformity to the rules of traditional grammar"; "an exceptionally high degree of physical risk is the preeminent criterion of an extreme sport".

Is "Criteria" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Criteria" is a noun.

Is "Criteria" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Criteria" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Criteria"?

"Criteria" is pronounced /krī-ˈtir-ē-ən/ as a noun and /krī-ˈtir-ē-əm/ as a noun and divided into syllables as cri·te·ri·on.

What is the origin of the word "Criteria"?

"Criteria" comes from borrowed from Greek kritḗrion, from kri-, variant stem of krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide, judge" + -tērion, suffix of instruments certain:1. First known use: 1622.