the metric system

noun

: a system of weights and measures that is based on the meter and on the kilogram

Examples of the metric system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The international prototype of the kilogram is located in Paris Paris is home to the prototype created for standardizing the metric system for measuring weight–the kilogram. Anna Gordon, TIME, 26 July 2024 Frick-Wright: For those of you unfamiliar with the metric system, that's fast. Outside Online, 17 July 2024 Americans successfully defeated Communism and Nazism and the metric system. The Editors, National Review, 4 July 2024 Debt and lawsuits have come to feel like quintessential American institutions, like barbeque or refusing to use the metric system. Dylan Matthews, Vox, 20 June 2024 Just as few American political leaders would have a good word for the metric system or international law, Egyptian political leaders love to talk about foreign hands and eschew international expertise. Nathan J. Brown, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2013 For those of us clueless about the metric system, that’s roughly an inch or two. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 Also, keep in mind that New Zealand uses the metric system, so distances will be given in kilometers rather than miles (likewise, the weather is measured in degrees Celsius instead of Fahrenheit). Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023 Turns out, Washington was keen on not using the metric system, much to the inconvenience of just about everyone. William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the metric system.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“The metric system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20metric%20system. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.

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