CRITERION Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'criterion' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of criterion are gauge , standard , touchstone , and yardstick . While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not. // questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

Q: When is 'gauge' a more appropriate choice than 'criterion'?

While in some cases nearly identical to criterion , gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect. // polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

Q: When could 'standard' be used to replace 'criterion'?

Although the words standard and criterion have much in common, standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority. // standards of behavior

Q: When is it sensible to use 'touchstone' instead of 'criterion'?

The meanings of touchstone and criterion largely overlap; however, touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible. // fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

Q: How do 'yardstick' and 'criterion' relate to one another?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality. // housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

criterion

noun

krī-ˈtir-ē-ən

Definition of criterion

as in standard

something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared one criterion for grading these essays will be their conformity to the rules of traditional grammar

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in characteristic

something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind an exceptionally high degree of physical risk is the preeminent criterion of an extreme sport

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun criterion contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of criterion are gauge, standard, touchstone, and yardstick. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

When is gauge a more appropriate choice than criterion?

While in some cases nearly identical to criterion, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When could standard be used to replace criterion?

Although the words standard and criterion have much in common, standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

When is it sensible to use touchstone instead of criterion?

The meanings of touchstone and criterion largely overlap; however, touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

How do yardstick and criterion relate to one another?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of criterion Surely this fits McCutcheon’s criteria of adding names for doing significant things future generations should remember, since this donation reopened the monument after its public closure. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 Independent candidate Collin Corbett, a former Republican political operative, did not meet WTTW’s criteria to participate. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 While there are two storm chances in place for this week, storms are expected to remain below First Alert criteria. — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 If that’s your main criteria, Cameron Winter At Carnegie Hall is not for you. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for criterion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for criterion

Noun

OpenAI took months to discover the incident and notify the Australian agencies affected — that’s unacceptable by my standard.

— Rumman Chowdhury, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Airport officials said the new design also increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, formerly as little as 257 feet, to about 880 feet — a change that brings the airport into compliance with FAA standards.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of standard

Noun

Those characteristics can be particularly relevant to fashion distribution, where seasonal peaks, promotional periods and e-commerce demand can put intense pressure on fulfillment operations.

— Josh McMorrow, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Balls put in play with those characteristics are hits 84% of the time, per the league's Statcast page.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Noun

The commercial benchmark, by comparison, showed continuous performance decay during testing.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
In human medicine, research cites a benchmark of 10,000 steps per day as a threshold that, when combined with healthy nutrition, supports weight loss.

— Will Boyd, Baltimore Sun, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of benchmark

Noun

The low-budget feature will mark Just’s directorial debut, and be the second in the new Dogma25 slate of ambitious arthouse features from producer Zentropa.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Produced by Emilie Lesclaux and Film at Lincoln Center, it was shot during the 2025 New York Film Festival, where the two directors were presenting their latest features, and grew out of conversations between them.

— Lise Pedersen, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of feature

Noun

People who score high on measures of zest are also more likely to view their lives as meaningful.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
The findings come three decades after the democratic government introduced a raft of measures — known as Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) — aimed at reversing the dispossession suffered by Black people under apartheid and colonialism.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of measure

Noun

The report also raised questions about the quality of official data on vaccinations for measles and other diseases for the years 2023 to 2025.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
If the preseason is any indication, Wiggins is going to have a quality season for the Heat.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of quality

Noun

Within premium products, there is a focus on longevity attributes in skin care and elegant, sophisticated makeup products among mature middle-class consumers.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
The study also found that daughters’ caregiving more responsive than sons’ to their own and their parents’ attributes.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of attribute

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criteria

criterion

critic

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Style

“Criterion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criterion. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of criterion

noun

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Synonyms of criterion

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to criterion

Can ‘criteria’ ever be singular?

Two-Wheeled Words: Bicycle Terms

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

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Games & Quizzes