What does criteria mean?
Criteria are the standards, rules, or benchmarks by which things are judged, compared, selected, or decided. The word is the plural of 'criterion', which comes from the Greek 'kriterion', meaning a means of judging, itself derived from 'krinein', to separate or decide. Criteria appear wherever evaluation happens with any rigour: universities publish admissions criteria, employers list selection criteria in job postings, and scientific studies define inclusion criteria for participants. The word carries a formal, objective connotation, suggesting judgement based on explicit measures rather than whim or personal taste. A frequent point of confusion is number: because 'criteria' is plural, phrases such as 'the main criteria is' are grammatically incorrect, and the singular 'criterion' should be used for one standard alone. Mastering this distinction signals precision and care with language, especially in professional writing.
nounCriteria are the standards, principles, or tests by which something is judged, evaluated, or decided. It is the plural form of 'criterion'.
- Standards, principles, or requirements used as the basis for judging, evaluating, or deciding something — the plural of 'criterion'.
"The committee applied strict criteria when selecting candidates for the scholarship."
"Applicants must meet all the criteria listed in the job description."
"The judges scored each performance against clear, published criteria."
'Criteria' is itself a plural noun; its singular is 'criterion'. Use 'criteria are' rather than 'criteria is', and avoid the common error 'a criteria' — write 'a criterion' instead.
"A single criterion may be enough for some decisions, but complex choices usually require several criteria."
'Criteria' is one of the most misused plurals in English — people constantly say 'this criteria' when it's actually plural, like calling one sheep a flock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of criteria
Criteria derives ultimately from the Greek 'krinein', meaning to separate, judge, or decide, via 'kriterion', a means or standard of judgment. The term passed into English through Latin in the early 17th century alongside its singular 'criterion'. Words sharing the same Greek root include 'critic', 'critical', and 'crisis', all of which retain the core idea of discernment or decisive judgement.
How criteria is actually used
Formal register, common in academic, professional, and evaluative contexts. Because 'criteria' is plural, careful writers use it with plural verbs ('the criteria are') and reserve 'criterion' for a single standard; using 'a criteria' is widely considered an error.
Easily confused with criteria
'Criterion' is the singular form referring to a single standard of judgment, while 'criteria' is its plural referring to multiple standards.