Benchmark

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛn(t)ʃmɑːk/

Definitions

1. A standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed
2. A point of reference utilized for comparison that aids in assessing quality or performance across various entities or situations
3. A criterion or standard used to evaluate and compare the performance or quality of different items or processes in a given context

Etymology: Surveyors gave the word its literal sense. In the 19th century, land surveyors cut a mark into a stone or wall so they could return to the same spot and fix their measuring equipment. The "bench" part refers to a bracket, a support that held the instrument steady, so a benchmark was a fixed reference point built into the landscape. The word is a plain compound of "bench" and "mark," and its first recorded use dates to around 1842. The figurative sense, a standard used to judge other things, appeared around 1884. The shift follows naturally: once a surveyor's fixed point was the reference against which every other measurement was taken, people began using the same idea for any fixed standard of comparison.

Synonyms: standard, point of reference, criteria