calibrate

cal·i·brate
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Canada, US, UK/ˈkæl.ɪ.bɹeɪ̯t/Canada, US, UK, also/ˈkal.ɪ.bɹeɪ̯t/Australia/ˈkæl.ɪ.bɹæɪ̯t/New Zealand/ˈkɛl.ə.bɹæɪ̯t/

verb

To check or adjust by comparison with a standard.

Similar
tunegraduatefine-tune
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

verbcalibrate (third-person singular simple present calibrates, present participle calibrating, simple past and past participle calibrated)

present singular third person calibrates · participle present calibrating · participle past calibrated · past calibrated

  1. transitiveengineeringTo check or adjust by comparison with a standard.

    Trent Alexander-Arnold was prominent in the early running, stepping up from right-back into midfield, calibrating his passing range. He had already teed up Harry Kane for a free header – the captain headed high – when he sent Anthony Gordon clean through.

    2024 September 7, David Hytner, “Rice and Grealish start new England era with Nations League victory in Ireland”, in The Guardian

    Synonyms: tune

  2. transitiveengineeringTo mark the scale of a measuring instrument.
  3. transitiveengineeringTo measure the caliber of a tube or gun.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo check or adjust by comparison with a standard.

Similar
tune

More synonyms by meaning

verbmake fine adjustments or divide into marked intervals for optimal measuring

Similar
graduatefine-tune
Broader
adjustsetcorrect
Also see
fine-tunegraduatetitrate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From calibre + -ate.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian калибрирам, градуирам
  • калибрирам (kalibriram)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • градуирам (graduiram)to mark the scale of a measuring instrument
Catalan calibrar
  • calibrarto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Chinese Mandarin 校準 /校准, 標定 /标定
  • 校準 /校准 (jiàozhǔn)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • 標定 /标定 (biāodìng)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • 標記刻度 /标记刻度 (biāojì kèdù)to mark the scale of a measuring instrument
  • 標定 /标定 (biāodìng)to mark the scale of a measuring instrument
  • 測量 /测量 (cèliáng)to measure the caliber of a tube or gun
  • 標定 /标定 (biāodìng)to measure the caliber of a tube or gun
Czech kalibrovat
  • kalibrovatto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Dutch kalibreer
  • kalibreerto mark the scale of a measuring instrument
Esperanto kalibri
  • kalibrito check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Finnish kalibroida, kalibroida
  • kalibroidato check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • kalibroidato mark the scale of a measuring instrument
  • kalibroidato measure the caliber of a tube or gun
French étalonner, calibrer
  • étalonnerto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • calibrerto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
German kalibrieren
  • kalibrierento check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Greek βαθμονομώ, διαβαθμίζω
  • βαθμονομώ (vathmonomó)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • διαβαθμίζω (diavathmízo)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Hebrew כייל
  • כייל (kiyél)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Italian calibràre
  • calibràreto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Japanese 調整する, 較正する
  • 調整する (chōsei suru)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • 較正する (kōsei suru)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Māori tohuine, tōkarikari
  • tohuineto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • tōkarikarito check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Polish kalibrować, skalibrować
  • kalibrowaćto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • skalibrowaćto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • kalibrowaćto mark the scale of a measuring instrument
  • skalibrowaćto mark the scale of a measuring instrument
  • kalibrowaćto measure the caliber of a tube or gun
  • skalibrowaćto measure the caliber of a tube or gun
Portuguese calibrar
  • calibrarto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Russian калибри́ровать
  • калибри́ровать (kalibrírovatʹ)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Slovak kalibrovať
  • kalibrovaťto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Spanish calibrar
  • calibrarto check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Swedish kalibrera
  • kalibrerato check or adjust by comparison with a standard
Ukrainian калібрува́ти, відкалібро́вувати
  • калібрува́ти (kalibruváty)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • відкалібро́вувати (vidkalibróvuvaty)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard
  • відкалібрува́ти (vidkalibruváty)to check or adjust by comparison with a standard

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with calibrate

datestategreatratecreateupdateweightlatecertificatewaiteightstraightplatechocolatedebatehategatedonateevaluatelocatekatealternatetranslatemate
All rhymes →

Anagrams

bacterial
Cite this entry
APA

calibrate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calibrate

MLA

“calibrate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calibrate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “calibrate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calibrate.

Source: calibrate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.