caliber

caliber — noun

1. the degree of excellence, skill, or importance that a person or thing has — for

1.nounB2
Definition

the degree of excellence, skill, or importance that a person or thing has — for example, a school that attracts students of the highest caliber, or a manager whose ability does not match the caliber of the previous one.

Example

The university only recruits candidates of the highest caliber.

collocation: of the highest caliber

Rachel's work on the climate report is of a different caliber from the earlier drafts.

collocation: of a different caliber

Common collocations
  • of the highest caliber
  • of a different caliber
  • of similar caliber
  • of the same caliber
  • intellectual caliber
  • professional caliber
Synonyms
  • quality

    more general and works for both positive and negative judgments; 'caliber' leans toward high achievement

  • standard

    emphasises a benchmark or target level rather than the intrinsic quality itself

  • stature

    focuses on personal reputation and importance, narrower than 'caliber'

Antonyms
  • mediocrity

    the state of being average or poor in quality, opposite of high caliber

Grammar Patterns

of + adjective + caliber

the caliber of + noun

Usage Note

Commonly used in formal or professional contexts. Takes the pattern 'of' + adjective + 'caliber' (e.g., of higher caliber, of exceptional caliber). Subject is usually an institution, a person's ability, or a body of work.

Common Mistakes

This is a high caliber product.
This product is of high caliber.
'caliber' typically follows 'of' when describing quality, rather than being used as a direct adjective modifier.
The caliber of the food was terrible.
The quality of the food was terrible.
'caliber' sounds unnatural for everyday negative evaluations of products; use 'quality' instead.

2. the distance across the hollow center of a gun barrel, pipe, or tube; also, the

2.nounB2
Definition

the distance across the hollow center of a gun barrel, pipe, or tube; also, the size of a bullet that fits that barrel.

Example

The hunter carried a .22 caliber rifle for small game.

common pattern: [number] caliber rifle

Ryo checked the caliber of the pipe before ordering the fittings.

Common collocations
  • large caliber
  • small caliber
  • caliber weapon
  • caliber ammunition
  • caliber barrel
  • caliber pipe
Synonyms
  • diameter

    the general mathematical term; 'caliber' is specific to guns, bullets, pipes, and tubes

  • gauge

    used for shotguns and some industrial measurements; follows a different numbering system

  • bore

    refers specifically to the hollow interior of a tube or gun barrel, not the bullet itself

Grammar Patterns

number + caliber

caliber of + noun

Usage Note

When referring to firearms, caliber is usually expressed as a decimal fraction (e.g., .22, .45) or in millimetres (e.g., 9mm). For pipes and tubes, it is described with general adjectives (wide, narrow, large, small). Distinguish from gauge (used for shotguns), which follows a different scale.

Common Mistakes

The rifle used 22-millimeter caliber bullets.
The rifle used .22 caliber bullets.
In US firearms, caliber is usually expressed as a decimal fraction of an inch, not metric (unless the weapon is explicitly designed for metric ammunition).
This pipe's caliber is too narrow.
The bore of this pipe is too narrow.
'caliber' for pipes is technical; 'bore' or 'diameter' sounds more natural in everyday speech.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'quality' is the broadest term, referring to any degree of excellence or lack thereof, 'caliber' specifically implies a level of merit measured against a known benchmark, often in professional or intellectual contexts. 'Standard' suggests an expected or required level that serves as a target — one can meet, exceed, or fall below a standard — whereas 'caliber' describes the intrinsic level of ability or excellence someone already possesses. 'Stature' overlaps with 'caliber' for people but focuses on reputation and social standing gained through achievement, rather than raw skill or quality itself. 'Worth' is more about value or importance than about measured excellence. For example: 'The school maintains a high standard of teaching, but the caliber of its students is only average — they have worth as individuals but lack the stature of graduates from more famous institutions.'

quality ↗standard ↗stature ↗worth ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • of the first caliber
  • of a different caliber
  • of the same caliber

Prepositions

Etymology

ArabicItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'caliber' entered English in the 1500s from Middle French 'calibre', which came from Old Italian 'calibro', itself borrowed from Arabic 'qālib' (قالب), meaning 'a mold' or 'form'. The original meaning was the diameter of a gun barrel — the 'mold' through which the bullet passes. By the 1800s, the word had developed a figurative sense: the quality or worth of a person or thing, as if measuring them against an internal standard of excellence.

First known use

1588

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 2b