benchmark

What it means

1. A standard by which something is evaluated or measured.

   Near-synonym: criterion

   2 more examples

   Is the pope Catholic? Forgive the posing of a question that is usually rhetorical, the absolute benchmark of certainty, and traditionally regarded as even more settled than the one pertaining to the lavatorial arrangements of bears.

   2013 September 20, Marina Hyde, “Is the pope Catholic?”, in The Guardian

   In a press release, CARB expanded on their decision. "The LCFS reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by setting a declining carbon intensity target for transportation fuels used in California; producers that don't meet established benchmarks buy credits from those that do. This system has generated $4 billion in annual private sector investment toward a cleaner transportation sector."

   2024 November 8, Luz Pena, “California's gas prices could have major increase with passing of new fuel standards”, in ABC7 News

   Synonyms: criterion

2. A surveyor's mark made on some stationary object and shown on a map; used as a reference point.

   Near-synonym: datum

   Synonyms: datum

3. computingA computer program that is executed to assess the performance of the runtime environment.

In a sentence

Near-synonym: criterion

Where it comes from

From bench + mark. First use appears c. 1842. Originally a mark cut into a stone by land surveyors to secure a bench (from land surveying jargon in the 19th century, meaning a type of bracket), to mount measuring equipment. The figurative sense first appears c. 1884.