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Glite Dictionary
reliable yardstick

reliable yardstick

3.9
A trusted way to measure progress or quality
  • noun
translation icon : referente confiable
  • Customer satisfaction is often seen as a reliable yardstick for business success.

Examples

  • Test scores are not always the most reliable yardstick of a child's potential.

  • The committee lacked a reliable yardstick to judge the effectiveness of the new program.

  • A reliable yardstick is essential.

  • This is a reliable yardstick!

  • Customer satisfaction is often seen as a reliable yardstick for assessing business performance.

  • Test scores can serve as a reliable yardstick to evaluate student progress, but they have limitations.

  • The committee found that a reliable yardstick was necessary to measure the success of their initiatives.

Synonyms

measure
vsreliable yardstick
92 2.5

A standard used to compare people or things

focuses specifically on being reliable for judging progress or quality
benchmark
vsreliable yardstick
65 4.2

A standard used to compare quality or performance

is preferred when a dependable standard is needed for evaluation
gold standard
vsreliable yardstick
15 3.9

The best and most trusted example that people use to judge other things

is a dependable standard but not necessarily the ultimate or best example
yardstick
vsreliable yardstick
12 3.9

A way to judge how good or successful something is

is chosen for its dependability when assessing progress or quality

How Reliable

gold standard
15 3.9
reliable yardstick
3.9

Surface Forms

reliable yardstick singular
reliable yardsticks plural

Morphology

reliable + yardstick

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.