Phrase guide

metric system

noun · 4 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

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  • /ˈmɛtɹɪk ˌsɪstəm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The system of units developed in France in the 1790s and now used worldwide.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The modern version of that system, Système International d'Unités (International System of Units), or SI that is based on the base units of the meter/metre, the kilogram, the second, the ampere, the kelvin, the mole, and the candela.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • see Appendix on SI Units

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any variant of that system that was not codified as SI, such as cgs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a decimal system of weights and measures based on the meter and the kilogram and the second

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: system of weights and measures

Narrower terms: cgs, cgs system, Systeme International d'Unites, Systeme International, SI system, SI, SI unit, International System of Units, International System

History

Etymology

From metric + system, from French métrique. See also meter.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: sistema mètric — system of measurements developed in France
  • Chinese Mandarin: 國際公制 /国际公制 (guójì gōngzhì) — system of measurements developed in France
  • Chinese Mandarin: 公制 (gōngzhì) — system of measurements developed in France
  • Chinese Mandarin: 米制 (mǐzhì) — system of measurements developed in France
  • Dutch: metriek stelsel — system of measurements developed in France
  • Finnish: metrijärjestelmä — system of measurements developed in France
  • French: système métrique — system of measurements developed in France
  • Georgian: მეტრული სისტემა (meṭruli sisṭema) — system of measurements developed in France
  • German: metrisches System — system of measurements developed in France
  • Hungarian: méterrendszer — system of measurements developed in France
  • Ido: metrala sistemo — system of measurements developed in France
  • Irish: córas méadrach — system of measurements developed in France
  • Korean: 미터법 (miteobeop) — system of measurements developed in France
  • Polish: układ SI — system of measurements developed in France
  • Portuguese: sistema métrico — system of measurements developed in France
  • Romanian: sistem metric — system of measurements developed in France
  • Russian: метри́ческая систе́ма (metríčeskaja sistéma) — system of measurements developed in France
  • Spanish: sistema métrico — system of measurements developed in France
  • Thai: ระบบเมตริก (rá-bòp-mee-dtrìk) — system of measurements developed in France
  • Turkish: metrik sistem — system of measurements developed in France
  • Welsh: system fedrig — system of measurements developed in France