reliable yardstick
1
3.9
- noun
- Customer satisfaction is often seen as a reliable yardstick for business success.
Examples
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Test scores are not always the most reliable yardstick of a child's potential.
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The committee lacked a reliable yardstick to judge the effectiveness of the new program.
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A reliable yardstick is essential.
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This is a reliable yardstick!
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Customer satisfaction is often seen as a reliable yardstick for assessing business performance.
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Test scores can serve as a reliable yardstick to evaluate student progress, but they have limitations.
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The committee found that a reliable yardstick was necessary to measure the success of their initiatives.
Synonyms
288
2.5
A standard used to compare people or things
62
4.2
A standard used to compare quality or performance
17
3.9
The best and most trusted example that people use to judge other things
12
3.9
A way to judge how good or successful something is
How Reliable
17
3.9
1
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents have straightforward, literal meanings and the adjective 'reliable' simply modifies the noun 'yardstick', so a B1 learner who knows 'reliable' and 'yardstick' can infer 'a dependable standard or measure'. The composition follows a common adjective+noun pattern and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, making the phrase immediately comprehensible from its parts.
Etymology
The phrase reliable yardstick comes from the image of a trusted measuring stick: a yardstick measures length, and if it is reliable you can trust its reading. So a reliable yardstick means a trusted 'standard' or 'measure' you can use to judge progress, quality, or performance.