benchmark

/ˈbɛntʃˌmɑrk/
verb
  1. To evaluate or check (something) by comparison with a standard.
    • The team benchmarked their new software against the leading product on the market.
    • The company benchmarks employee performance every quarter.
    • We need to benchmark our energy usage against similar buildings in the area.
noun
  1. A standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or measured.
    • The company's sales figures set a new benchmark for the industry.
    • Teachers use test scores as a benchmark to measure student progress.
    • This smartphone's battery life is the benchmark that other phones are judged by.
  2. A surveyor's mark cut into a permanent object, used as a reference point in measuring elevations.
    • Hikers sometimes find old benchmarks on mountaintops left by early mapmakers.
    • The surveyor placed a brass benchmark into the concrete wall of the old courthouse.
    • The benchmark on the bridge helped engineers calculate the road's exact height.
What does "benchmark" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean