Standard Lemma guide

calibration

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • kăl′ĭ-brā′shən weak vowel distinction
  • kăl′ə-brā′shən weak vowel merger
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkæl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkæl.əˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˌkæl.əˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/
  • Texas: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˌkæl.əˈbɹæɪ.ʃən/
  • New-Zealand: /ˌkɛl.əˈbɹæɪ.ʃən/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: K AE2 L AH0 B R EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of calibrating something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, technology

Examples

  • The thermostat needs calibration.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the act of checking or adjusting (by comparison with a standard) the accuracy of a measuring instrument

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the thermometer needed calibration

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: standardization, standardisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: activity

Narrower terms: tuning, adjustment, registration, readjustment

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English calibre Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English calibrate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English calibration From calibrate + -ion. First attested in 1852.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: معايرة — act of calibrating
  • Bulgarian: калибро́вка (kalibróvka) — act of calibrating
  • Bulgarian: калибриране (kalibrirane) — act of calibrating
  • Catalan: calibratge — act of calibrating
  • Chinese Mandarin: 校準 /校准 (jiàozhǔn) — act of calibrating
  • Chinese Mandarin: 校正 (jiàozhèng) — act of calibrating
  • Czech: kalibrace — act of calibrating
  • Danish: kalibrering — act of calibrating
  • Finnish: kalibrointi — act of calibrating
  • French: étalonnage — act of calibrating
  • French: étalonnement — act of calibrating
  • French: calibrage — act of calibrating
  • German: Kalibrierung — act of calibrating
  • German: Kalibration — act of calibrating
  • Greek: βαθμονόμηση (vathmonómisi) — act of calibrating
  • Greek: διαμέτρηση (diamétrisi) — act of calibrating
  • Greek: διακρίβωση (diakrívosi) — act of calibrating
  • Indonesian: kalibrasi — act of calibrating
  • Indonesian: penaraan — act of calibrating
  • Italian: calibrazione — act of calibrating
  • Japanese: 較正 (kōsei) — act of calibrating
  • Japanese: キャリブレーション (kyariburēshon) — act of calibrating
  • Japanese: 校正 (kōsei) — act of calibrating
  • Japanese: 調整 (chousei) — act of calibrating
  • Korean: 조정 (jojeong) — act of calibrating
  • Macedonian: калибрација (kalibracija) — act of calibrating
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kalibrering — act of calibrating
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kalibrering — act of calibrating
  • Polish: kalibracja — act of calibrating
  • Portuguese: calibração — act of calibrating
  • Romanian: calibrare — act of calibrating
  • Romanian: calibraj — act of calibrating
  • Russian: калибро́вка (kalibróvka) — act of calibrating
  • Russian: калиброва́ние (kalibrovánije) — act of calibrating
  • Spanish: calibración — act of calibrating
  • Swedish: kalibrering — act of calibrating
  • Telugu: క్రమాంకనం (kramāṅkanaṁ) — act of calibrating
  • Turkish: kalibrasyon — act of calibrating
  • Turkish: kalibraj — act of calibrating