bench·mark
ˈbench-ˌmärk 
1
a
: something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged
a stock whose performance is a benchmark against which other stocks can be measured
b
: a point of reference from which measurements may be made
c
: a standardized problem or test that serves as a basis for evaluation or comparison (as of computer system performance)
2
usually bench mark
: a mark on a permanent object (such as a concrete post set into the ground) indicating elevation and serving as a reference in topographic surveys and tidal observations
benchmarked; benchmarking; benchmarks
business
: to study (something, such as a competitor's product or business practices) in order to improve the performance of one's own company
Synonyms
Examples of benchmark in a Sentence
Noun
a stock whose performance is a benchmark against which other stocks can be measured
this prize-winning biography will be the benchmark against which all others will be judged in future years
Recent Examples on the Web
PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
As of Wednesday, Wall Street traders were nearly unanimous that the Fed would cut the federal funds rate, which acts as a benchmark for other borrowing rates in the economy, by a quarter-point.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Shiran Danoch, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Pay Attention To Benefits Utilization And Drive Awareness HR leaders should benchmark their total rewards strategy and pay attention to the utilization of the benefits that are offered.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for benchmark 
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Noun
Similarly, the Blender CPU and GPU benchmarks showed the Falcon Northwest Talon's Intel and Nvidia parts safely ahead of the M4 Pro.
—PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
As of Wednesday, Wall Street traders were nearly unanimous that the Fed would cut the federal funds rate, which acts as a benchmark for other borrowing rates in the economy, by a quarter-point.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
Benchmark To Tap Into Industry Wisdom Leverage public data and industry reports to benchmark the most critical skills for the role.
—Shiran Danoch, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Pay Attention To Benefits Utilization And Drive Awareness HR leaders should benchmark their total rewards strategy and pay attention to the utilization of the benefits that are offered.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for benchmark
Dictionary Entries Near benchmark
Cite this Entry
“Benchmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benchmark. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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