What does barometric mean?
Barometric is an adjective meaning relating to atmospheric pressure or its measurement by means of a barometer. It derives from the barometer, the instrument invented in the seventeenth century to weigh the air, and from Greek roots meaning 'weight' and 'measure'. In modern usage the word appears most often in weather forecasting, where rising or falling barometric pressure helps meteorologists anticipate changes in conditions, and in aviation, where barometric readings allow aircraft altimeters to determine altitude. The word also surfaces in consumer technology, since many smartphones contain tiny barometric sensors used for elevation tracking and weather apps. Barometric is precise and technical in register, carrying no strong emotional connotation; it is typically paired directly with nouns such as pressure, reading, or trend. Because it describes measurement rather than the phenomenon itself, it functions as a specialist term — useful whenever accuracy about how air pressure is observed matters more than general description.
adjectiveRelating to or measured by a barometer; of or concerning atmospheric pressure.
- Relating to atmospheric pressure or its measurement by a barometer, as in weather forecasting and aviation.
"The pilot adjusted the altimeter to account for the day's barometric pressure."
"Falling barometric pressure often signals an approaching storm."
"Smartphones can estimate altitude using the barometric sensor built into the device."
Every time your phone's weather app predicts rain, it's often reading the same falling barometric pressure sailors have watched for centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of barometric
Barometric comes from barometer, a seventeenth-century coinage formed from the Greek báros ('weight') and métron ('measure'), reflecting the instrument's purpose of measuring the weight of the atmosphere. The adjective form developed alongside the instrument's growing scientific use, particularly after Torricelli's experiments with mercury columns established that air exerts measurable pressure. It shares these Greek roots with words such as isobar and, through métron, with geometry and symmetry.
Related word forms
How barometric is actually used
Almost always used attributively in technical or scientific contexts — weather reports, aviation, and engineering — rather than in casual conversation. It carries a neutral, precise connotation and rarely appears figuratively.
Easily confused with barometric
A barometer is the instrument that measures air pressure, while barometric is the adjective describing anything related to such measurements.