yardstick
noun
yard·stick
ˈyärd-ˌstik 
1
a
: a graduated measuring stick three feet (0.9144 meter) long
b
: a standard basis of calculation
a yardstick for measuring astronomical distances
2
: a standard for making a critical judgment : criterion
measured by the yardstick of her first book
was a great success by any yardstick
Synonyms
Examples of yardstick in a Sentence
Some feel that test scores aren't an adequate yardstick for judging a student's ability.
Ratings are the yardstick by which TV shows are evaluated by networks.
Recent Examples on the Web
It can’t be captured fully by any individual yardstick, and by many metrics is still well above where most Americans, and in fact some Fed officials, feel comfortable.
—
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024
Using the yardstick of a €60,000 ($67,000) salary, Boundless found that the most affordable nation for employers was Lithuania, where paying a €60,000 salary cost just €61,074, while the most expensive was Austria, where the costs on top of the #60,000 amounted to €28,618.
—Roger Trapp, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Walking on the sandy riverbed, McNeish used a yardstick to estimate how much the water had receded in an isolated pond since her last visit.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
Woodrow Rosenbaum, the chief data officer of GivingTuesday, has pushed back on the idea that giving is in decline at all, saying that’s only true if our measurement yardstick is based on monetary gifts to nonprofits.
—Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yardstick 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024
Using the yardstick of a €60,000 ($67,000) salary, Boundless found that the most affordable nation for employers was Lithuania, where paying a €60,000 salary cost just €61,074, while the most expensive was Austria, where the costs on top of the #60,000 amounted to €28,618.
—Roger Trapp, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Walking on the sandy riverbed, McNeish used a yardstick to estimate how much the water had receded in an isolated pond since her last visit.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
Woodrow Rosenbaum, the chief data officer of GivingTuesday, has pushed back on the idea that giving is in decline at all, saying that’s only true if our measurement yardstick is based on monetary gifts to nonprofits.
—Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yardstick
Dictionary Entries Near yardstick
Cite this Entry
“Yardstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yardstick. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
yardstick
noun
yard·stick
-ˌstik
1
: a measuring stick a yard long
2
: a rule or standard by which something is measured
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share