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
There were huge, complicated machines that needed to be calibrated, and nobody really knew how to do it.
—
Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
Corporate slop, carefully calibrated to appeal to nostalgic fans without offering anything new on their own terms, is commonplace these days.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Plus, the new Electronic Grind Adjust helps calibrate your machine to ensure better extraction.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
At lower latitudes, star-tracking is the standard method for calibrating a telescope’s pointing reference.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calibrate
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Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
Corporate slop, carefully calibrated to appeal to nostalgic fans without offering anything new on their own terms, is commonplace these days.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
Plus, the new Electronic Grind Adjust helps calibrate your machine to ensure better extraction.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
At lower latitudes, star-tracking is the standard method for calibrating a telescope’s pointing reference.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for calibrate
Cite this Entry
“Calibrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calibrate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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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