calibration

calibration — noun

1. the printed lines, numbers, or other marks on a measuring instrument that tell y

1.nounC1
Definition

the printed lines, numbers, or other marks on a measuring instrument that tell you the value it is showing — for example, the tiny lines on a thermometer that indicate degrees of temperature

Example

The glass thermometer had clear calibrations every two degrees between thirty and forty.

collocation: clear calibrations

Aiko checked the calibrations on the laboratory scale before weighing the powder.

collocation: check the calibrations

Common collocations
  • read the calibrations
  • check the calibrations
  • clear calibrations
  • tiny calibrations
  • calibrations on a thermometer
  • calibrations on a scale
Synonyms
  • markings

    a more general term; calibrations are markings with measured values

  • graduations

    a technical synonym mostly used for laboratory instruments

  • scale

    refers to the whole system of marks rather than individual lines

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form (calibrations) when referring to the actual markings. The singular is rare except in technical writing.

Common Mistakes

I looked at the calibration on the thermometer.' (vague — sounds like the process)
I looked at the calibrations on the thermometer.
Use the plural for the printed marks themselves.

2. the act of testing and adjusting a measuring instrument so that it gives correct

2.nounC1
Definition

the act of testing and adjusting a measuring instrument so that it gives correct readings, often by comparing it against a known standard — for instance, setting a kitchen scale to zero before weighing flour

Example

The laboratory technician performed a full calibration of the pH meter before the experiment began.

collocation: perform a calibration

Olu's blood pressure monitor needs calibration every six months to stay accurate.

collocation: needs calibration

Common collocations
  • calibration of an instrument
  • perform calibration
  • need calibration
  • proper calibration
  • regular calibration
  • calibration certificate
  • annual calibration
  • factory calibration
Synonyms
  • adjustment

    a broader term; calibration is a specific kind of adjustment using a standard

  • standardisation

    a more formal term, often used in manufacturing and quality control

  • tuning

    used for devices that need fine adjustment, like radios or musical instruments

Usage Note

This is the most common sense of calibration. The noun can be either uncountable (calibration is required) or countable with an article (a calibration takes twenty minutes). Do not confuse with sense 1: sense 2 is about the action of checking, NOT the printed markings.

Common Mistakes

The calibrations on the thermometer need adjusting.' (sounds like the marks need adjusting)
The thermometer needs calibration.
Use the uncountable noun for the process.

Word family

  • calibrate
    verbB2
  • calibrator
    nounC1
  • recalibrate
    verbC1
  • recalibration
    nounC1
  • calibrated
    adjectiveB2
  • uncalibrated
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Calibration specifically means comparing a measuring instrument against a known standard and adjusting it so that its readings match that standard — it is the most precise and formal term of the four. Adjustment is a broader word: you can adjust the volume on a radio, the height of a chair, or the tension on a guitar string without reference to any standard. Standardisation is the process of making multiple instruments or methods follow the same benchmark; it often involves calibration as one step. Tuning is used for devices whose settings affect quality or frequency, such as a radio tuner, a musical instrument, or an engine — it implies fine adjustments for optimal performance rather than accuracy against a fixed standard. For example, you calibrate a thermometer so it reads exactly 100 °C in boiling water, but you tune a violin so the A string sounds correct to your ear.

calibration ↗adjustment ↗standardisationtuning

Common collocations

Nouns

  • calibration process
  • calibration technician
  • calibration certificate
  • calibration equipment
  • calibration standard

Adverbs

Phrases

  • off by... (after poor calibration)
  • need recalibration
  • factory calibration
  • field calibration
  • self-calibration

Prepositions

  • during calibration
  • after calibration
  • for calibration
  • calibration of

Etymology

ArabicItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'calibration' comes from 'calibrate', which was formed in English in the 1800s from 'caliber' (also spelled 'calibre'), meaning the diameter of a gun barrel or any cylindrical object. 'Caliber' itself came from French 'calibre' and ultimately from Arabic 'qālib' (قالب), a mould or form used in metal casting. The original connection was to measuring the width of a tube; over time the meaning broadened to any precise measurement and then to the process of setting an instrument to a correct standard.