criterion

(krī-tîr'ē-ən)
n., pl., -te·ri·a (-tîr'ē-ə), or -te·ri·ons.
A standard, rule, or test on which a judgment or decision can be based. See synonyms at standard.

[Greek kritērion, from kritēs, judge, from krīnein, to separate, judge.]

criterial cri·te'ri·al (-əl) adj.

USAGE NOTE   Like the analogous etymological plurals agenda and data, criteria is widely used as a singular form. Unlike them, however, it is not yet acceptable in that use.

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meaning 'a principle or standard by which something is judged', has a plural criteria. This plural form is often taken to be singular, a use that is not standard:

A report...will tell councillors that the bidding criteria has significantly changed since the previous bid—Rochdale Observer, 2002.

The following examples illustrate correct uses of the singular and plural:

The Ottoman Empire...was a multi-national state,...the criterion of differentiation among its subjects was religion and not nationality—A. Mango, 1971

Some possible criteria for this area of work are listed below—J. Thorpe, 1989

Thus stated, Hume's criterion is quite vague—J. Losee, 2001.

In order to render criteria effectively singular, a collective such as set can be used:

However, we may wish to use a different set of criteria—A. Lawton et al., 1991

The study's findings would be measured against a group of criteria—Lloyd's List, 1994.

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noun

A means by which individuals are compared and judged: benchmark, gauge, mark, measure, standard, test, touchstone, yardstick. See usual/unusual.

n

Definition: test, gauge for judgment
Antonyms: change, conjecture, fancy, guess, possibility, probability

criterion [kry‐teer‐iŏn] (plural ‐eria), a standard or principle by which literary works can be judged or compared.

1. A standard or rule on which a decision or judgment may be based, forming the basis for the establishment of acceptable limits of environmental conditions in buildings.
2. An established code, measure, norm, or rule upon which a decision may be based.

cripples, 1

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1. A sufficient condition of something else.

2. A condition that may not be sufficient for another, but can be seen a priori to provide good evidence for it. Thus the fact that someone is behaving appropriately may not guarantee logically that they are he or she is in pain, but it may be a priori true that it is excellent evidence for it. The latter usage is attributed (controversially) to Wittgenstein. It fits with a generally holistic view of language, with assertions tied to each other by semantic forces of different strengths, rather than by straightforward logical relations.

IN BRIEF: A standard used to decide the correctness of a judgment or decision.

The criterion of true beauty is that it increases on examination; if false, that it lessens. — Lord Brook Fulke Greville (1554-1628).

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sign description: The C handshape moves around the fingertips of the opposite hand.

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n.pl

Predetermined rules or guidelines for dental care, developed by dentists relying on professional expertise, prior experience, and the professional literature, with which aspects of actual instances of dental care may be compared. Explicit criteria are predetermined, specific, and measurable; implicit criteria are implied or understood but not directly expressed.

For a list of words related to criterion, see:

• Reason and Rationale - criterion: measure or standard of judgment

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See words rhyming with "criterial."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Criteria.

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Common misspelling(s) of criterion

• critereon

Dansk (Danish)
n. - kriterium, målestok

Nederlands (Dutch)
criterium

Français (French)
n. - critère

Deutsch (German)
n. - Kriterium

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κριτήριο, γνώμονας, πρότυπο ή μέτρο σύγκρισης

Italiano (Italian)
criterio

Português (Portuguese)
n. - critério (m)

Русский (Russian)
критерий

Español (Spanish)
n. - criterio

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kriterium, måttstock

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
标准, 规范, 准据

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 標準, 規範, 準據

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 기준, 크라이테리언 극장

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 基準

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) معيار, مقياس,‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קריטריון, תבחין, אבן-בוחן, קנה-מידה‬

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