metric system

/ˈmɛtɹɪk ˌsɪstəm/

noun

The system of units developed in France in the 1790s and now used worldwide.

“see Appendix on SI Units”

Similar
metricSI
OriginFrench métrique →
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Meanings

noun
  1. The system of units developed in France in the 1790s and now used worldwide.
  2. The modern version of that system, Système International d'Unités (International System of Units), or SI that is based on the base units of the meter/metre, the kilogram, the second, the ampere, the kelvin, the mole, and the candela.

    see Appendix on SI Units

  3. Any variant of that system that was not codified as SI, such as cgs.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
metricSI
Narrower
cgsmksMTS

Origin

  1. Frenchmétrique
  2. Englishmetric system

From metric + system, from French métrique. See also meter.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic نِظَام مِتْرِيّ
  • نِظَام مِتْرِيّ (niẓām mitriyy)system of measurements developed in France
Catalan sistema mètric
  • sistema mètricsystem of measurements developed in France
Chinese Mandarin 國際公制 /国际公制, 公制
  • 國際公制 /国际公制 (guójì gōngzhì)system of measurements developed in France
  • 公制 (gōngzhì)system of measurements developed in France
  • 米制 (mǐzhì)system of measurements developed in France
Dutch metriek stelsel
  • metriek stelselsystem of measurements developed in France
Finnish metrijärjestelmä
  • metrijärjestelmäsystem of measurements developed in France
French système métrique
  • système métriquesystem of measurements developed in France
German metrisches System
  • metrisches Systemsystem of measurements developed in France
Hungarian méterrendszer
  • méterrendszersystem of measurements developed in France
Irish córas méadrach
  • córas méadrachsystem of measurements developed in France
Korean 미터법
  • 미터법 (miteobeop)system of measurements developed in France
Polish układ SI
  • układ SIsystem of measurements developed in France
Portuguese sistema métrico
  • sistema métricosystem of measurements developed in France
Romanian sistem metric
  • sistem metricsystem of measurements developed in France
Russian метри́ческая систе́ма
  • метри́ческая систе́ма (metríčeskaja sistéma)system of measurements developed in France
Spanish sistema métrico
  • sistema métricosystem of measurements developed in France
Thai ระบบเมตริก
  • ระบบเมตริก (rá-bòp-mee-dtrìk)system of measurements developed in France
Turkish metrik sistem
  • metrik sistemsystem of measurements developed in France
Welsh system fedrig
  • system fedrigsystem of measurements developed in France
Cite this entry
APA

metric system. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metric%20system

MLA

“metric system.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metric%20system. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metric system,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metric%20system.

Source: metric system on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.