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calibration

Etymology and origin of the English word calibration

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1854
Ultimate origin
English (calibrate,-ation)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌkæl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, /ˌkæl.əˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ (UK); /ˌkæl.əˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English calibrate + -ation.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The act or process of calibrating (1854 in Etymonline; circa 1859 in Merriam-Webster; 1871 in the OED).[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Its sense follows calibrate, which comes from the calibre of a gun.[6][1] The process of checking or setting a measuring instrument against a standard gave its name also to the graduated marks on the instrument (1859 in the Historical Thesaurus for the lines on a scale).[7][3][4] The Historical Thesaurus also lists its use in radio tuning from 1930.[7] In medicine and the laboratory it means standardizing an instrument or procedure.[8]

Timeline

  • 1854 – first record in Etymonline.[2]
  • circa 1859 – Merriam-Webster's date.[4][9]
  • 1871 – first OED quotation.[5]
  • 1930 – radio tuning (Historical Thesaurus).[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The act or process of calibrating an instrument or gauge, or the state of being calibrated.
  2. A set of graduations that show values or positions on an instrument (usually plural).

Word family

  • intercalibration
  • calibrate
  • caliber

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ The Chambers Dictionary (2008), 11th ed., Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap
  7. ^ a b c Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
  8. ^ Stedman's Medical Dictionary, Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
  9. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Calibration.” Etymologically, 14 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/calibration. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·