1 Answer

criteria [krahy-teer-ee-uhn]  
Example Sentences Origin
Criteria
cri·te·ri·on   [krahy-teer-ee-uhn] Show IPA
noun, plural cri·te·ri·a  [-teer-ee-uh] Show IPA, cri·te·ri·ons.
a standard of judgment or criticism; a rule or principle for evaluating or testing something.

Origin:
1605–15; < Greek krit?rion a standard, equivalent to kri- variant stem of kr??nein to separate, decide + -t?rion neuter suffix of means (akin to Latin -t?rium -tory2 )

Related forms
cri·te·ri·al, adjective

Can be confused:  criteria, criterion (see usage note at the current entry ).

Synonyms
measure, touchstone, yardstick. See standard.

Usage note
Like some other nouns borrowed from the Greek, criterion has both a Greek plural, criteria, and a plural formed on the English pattern, criterions. The plural in -a occurs with far greater frequency than does the -s plural: These are the criteria for the selection of candidates. Although criteria is sometimes used as a singular, most often in speech and rather infrequently in edited prose, it continues strongly in use as a plural in standard English, with criterion as the singular.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.