caliber
noun
cal·i·ber
ˈka-lə-bər 
British also kə-ˈlē-
variants
or calibre
1
a
: degree of mental capacity or moral quality
teachers of high caliber
b
: degree of excellence or importance
the caliber of instruction
2
a
: the diameter of a bullet or other projectile
b
: the diameter of a bore of a gun usually expressed in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and typically written as a decimal fraction
.32 caliber
3
: the diameter of a round or cylindrical body
especially
: the internal diameter of a hollow cylinder
Examples of caliber in a Sentence
I was impressed by the high caliber of the team's work.
musicians of the highest caliber perform at that concert hall
Recent Examples on the Web
Against a quarterback in Russell Wilson that was on the hot seat entering week two after a putrid showing to open the season a week prior, the 10-time Pro Bowler delivered 450 yards through the air, the second-most in his illustrious Hall of Fame-caliber career.
—
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2025
What made Sundance extraordinary was not just the caliber of people, but the setting.
—Euzhan Palcy, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Lawyers representing powerful names like Sean Diddy Combs and Elon Musk are some of the Top Lawyers in America this year, according to Forbes’ annual roll call of the country’s high-caliber counsel.
—Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Layered defenses will typically build in electronic warfare, cannons, interceptor drones or large-caliber machine guns—even nets.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for caliber
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Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2025
What made Sundance extraordinary was not just the caliber of people, but the setting.
—Euzhan Palcy, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Lawyers representing powerful names like Sean Diddy Combs and Elon Musk are some of the Top Lawyers in America this year, according to Forbes’ annual roll call of the country’s high-caliber counsel.
—Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Layered defenses will typically build in electronic warfare, cannons, interceptor drones or large-caliber machine guns—even nets.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for caliber
Cite this Entry
“Caliber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caliber. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
caliber
noun
cal·i·ber
variants
or calibre
1
: degree of excellence or importance
2
: the diameter of a missile (as a bullet)
3
: the inside diameter of a gun barrel
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