caliber

noun

cal·​i·​ber ˈka-lə-bər 

 British also  kə-ˈlē-

variants or calibre

1

a

: degree of mental capacity or moral quality

teachers of high caliber

b

: degree of excellence or importance

the caliber of instruction

2

a

: the diameter of a bullet or other projectile

b

: the diameter of a bore of a gun usually expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction

.32 caliber

3

: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body

especially : the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder

Synonyms

• class
• grade
• quality
• rate

Examples of caliber in a Sentence

I was impressed by the high caliber of the team's work.

musicians of the highest caliber perform at that concert hall

Recent Examples on the Web

To give you an idea of the caliber of guests, SXSW Austin has welcomed high-profile speakers that run the gamut, from Barack Obama and Steven Spielberg to Mark Zuckerberg and Mark Cuban. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 May 2024

Ortiz and Rosado were both shot once in the head with a .45 caliber handgun. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French calibre "internal diameter of a cylindrical object, displacement of a gun," borrowed (by uncertain mediation) from Arabic qālab, qālib "mold for casting metal, shoemaker's last," borrowed from Greek kalapod-, kalápous, kalópous "shoemaker's last," from kâla (plural) "wood, timber" (of uncertain origin) + -a- (perhaps after tetrápous "four-footed") or -o- -o- + poús "foot" — more at foot entry 1

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Kids Definition

caliber

noun

cal·​i·​ber

variants or calibre

ˈkal-ə-bər 

1

: degree of excellence or importance

2

: the diameter of a missile (as a bullet)

3

: the inside diameter of a gun barrel

Medical Definition

caliber

noun

cal·​i·​ber

variants or chiefly British calibre

ˈkal-ə-bər, British also kə-ˈlē-

: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body

especially : the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder