criterion
noun
Is criteria singular or plural?: Usage Guide
The plural criteria has been used as a singular for over half a century.
R. M. Nixon
Bert Lance
Many of our examples, like the two foregoing, are taken from speech. But singular criteria is not uncommon in edited prose, and its use both in speech and writing seems to be increasing. Only time will tell whether it will reach the unquestioned acceptability of agenda.
Did you know?
One person's principal criterion for a new car may be its gas mileage, while someone else's may be whether it has room for four children. When filling a job opening, employers usually look for several criteria (notice the plural form) in the applicants; and when college admissions officers are reading student applications, they likewise always keep a few basic criteria in mind. And when interviewing an applicant, one criterion for both the employer and the admissions officer might include the size of the applicant's vocabulary!
Synonyms
Examples of criterion in a Sentence
Laura Shapiro, New York Times Book Review, 25 Dec. 1994
… the induction committee waived its normal five-year retirement criteria for fear Kelley might never retire.
—Todd Balf, Yankee, 4 Apr. 1992
Christo argues that art must be measured by its effect on the shape of a community. By this criterion Running Fence was enormously successful.
—O. B. Hardison, Jr., Disappearing Through the Skylight, 1989
What were the criteria used to choose the winner?
one criterion for grading these essays will be their conformity to the rules of traditional grammar
Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 21 Nov. 2024
This requires developing criteria that help prioritize which tasks belong inside the IHA and which can be outsourced.
—Andrea Ruskin, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Created in 1952, and named after the legendary filmmaker, the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award has been given to 69 people who meet the criteria of being the greatest and most iconic Hollywood talents.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
In the case of male to female transgender athletes who compete in women’s sports, these criteria typically require hormone level testing at different intervals preceding competitions.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criterion 
Dictionary Entries Near criterion
Cite this Entry
“Criterion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criterion. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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criterion
noun
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