noun
caliber
KAL-ih-buh
noun
1
The internal diameter of a gun barrel, or the diameter of a bullet.
"The rifle fires a .308 caliber round."
2
The level of quality, ability, or importance a person or thing has.
"The company only hires engineers of the highest caliber."
"Her latest novel shows a real improvement in caliber compared to her earlier work."
How to Use Caliber
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA measurement of a gun's bore size, or, more commonly in everyday speech, a measure of how good or skilled someone or something is.
UK vs US
Spelled "calibre" in British English, "caliber" in American English.
Common pairings
high caliber
a player of this caliber
small-caliber weapon
Word Forms
calibers plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “caliber”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The rifle fires a .308 _____ round.
Etymology
From French calibre, from Italian calibro, of uncertain ultimate origin, possibly linked to Arabic qālib ("mold").