calibrate
verb
cal·i·brate
ˈka-lə-ˌbrāt 
calibrated; calibrating
1
: to ascertain the caliber of (something)
2
: to determine, rectify, or mark the graduations of (something, such as a thermometer tube)
3
: to standardize (something, such as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors
4
: to adjust precisely for a particular function
calibrate a thermometer
5
: to measure precisely
carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine
especially
: to measure against a standard
Examples of calibrate in a Sentence
carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine
Recent Examples on the Web
Alas, this grinder pairing wasn’t quite perfectly calibrated, requiring much tweaking.
—
Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2025
In the next roughly two weeks, Firefly mission engineers plan to calibrate the spacecraft's navigation system and continue to evaluate its scientific payloads for NASA before the descent.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
Their discovery is tied to some of the earliest data from the Euclid telescope, which launched in July 2023 to study the dark universe — the parts of the cosmos scientists can’t directly see — and spent the first few months calibrating and testing its instruments.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Our bodies are calibrated to Earth’s atmosphere and microbiome.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calibrate
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Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2025
In the next roughly two weeks, Firefly mission engineers plan to calibrate the spacecraft's navigation system and continue to evaluate its scientific payloads for NASA before the descent.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
Their discovery is tied to some of the earliest data from the Euclid telescope, which launched in July 2023 to study the dark universe — the parts of the cosmos scientists can’t directly see — and spent the first few months calibrating and testing its instruments.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Our bodies are calibrated to Earth’s atmosphere and microbiome.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calibrate
Cite this Entry
“Calibrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calibrate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
calibrate
verb
cal·i·brate
ˈkal-ə-ˌbrāt
calibrated; calibrating
1
: to measure the caliber of
2
a
: to determine, correct, or put the measuring marks on (as a tire pressure gauge)
b
: make standard (as a measuring instrument) by finding out and correcting for the differences from an accepted or ideal value
calibration
noun
ˌkal-ə-ˈbrā-shən
Medical Definition
calibrate
transitive verb
cal·i·brate
ˈkal-ə-ˌbrāt
calibrated; calibrating
1
: to ascertain the caliber of (as a thermometer tube)
2
: to determine, rectify, or mark the graduations of (as a thermometer tube)
3
: to standardize (as a measuring instrument) by determining the deviation from a standard so as to ascertain the proper correction factors
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