noun
benchmark
BEHNSH-mahk
noun
1
A standard used to judge or measure something.
"The new hire quickly became the benchmark for customer service."
2
A test used to measure the performance of computer hardware or software.
"The laptop scored well on every benchmark we ran."
verb
1
To measure something’s performance against a standard or competitor.
"We benchmarked our app against three rival products."
How to Use Benchmark
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fixed point of comparison, or the act of measuring something against one.
Common pairings
industry benchmark
benchmark test
benchmark against competitors
Word Forms
benchmarked past tense, benchmarks plural, benchmarks singular
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The new hire quickly became the _____ for customer service.
Etymology
Originally a surveyor’s mark cut into stone to hold measuring equipment steady; the figurative "standard of comparison" sense developed later, around the 1880s.