criterion
noun
Tariq Samad and Gus GaynorRachel Trujillo
Is criteria singular or plural?: Usage Guide
Criteria is typically a plural noun referring to standards on which a judgement can be made. Its singular form is criterion, but evidence shows that criteria is frequently used as a singular as well as a plural.
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!
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
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Last month, the Vatican bank announced two equity benchmarks that conform to ethical Catholic criteria and are aimed at serving as a reference for Catholic investments globally.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
What to look for in a hand mixer After testing 11 models, these are the criteria that actually separated the good mixers from the frustrating ones.
—Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Debate participants were invited based on the USC criteria, Berosini said in an email.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criterion
Cite this Entry
“Criterion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criterion. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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criterion
noun
