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Business & Workplace Languagenoun · /ˈmet.rɪk/

metric

In simple English

In tech workplaces, metrics are essential for data-driven decision-making. Teams use metrics to monitor system health, user engagement, product performance, and business success. Common examples include page load time, error rates, conversion rates, and daily active users. Metrics differ from raw data because they are intentionally chosen to answer specific business questions. For instance, response time is a metric that tells engineers whether their API is performing well. During sprints, teams set targets for metrics and review them in retrospectives. Metrics provide objective evidence of progress and help identify problems early.

What is a metric in tech and business, and how do you use metrics to measure performance?

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility5/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓track a metric
✓set metrics for success
✓our key metrics show growth
✓measure against this metric
✓metric-driven decision

Real examples

in a standup

"We hit our target metric for uptime this week at 99.95 percent."

in a code review

"This optimization should improve the memory usage metric significantly."

in a team meeting

"Our conversion rate metric dropped by 3 percent, so we need to investigate the checkout flow."

in a performance review

"The team exceeded all key metrics this quarter, especially user retention."

in a product planning session

"We should define our success metrics before we start the sprint."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not confuse metric with measurement. A metric is a specific KPI or standard for measuring success, not just any measurement. Avoid using it to mean physical units of measurement (e.g., the metric system).

✕We need to metric the system performance.
✓We need to track the system performance metric.— Metric is a noun in tech English, not a verb. Use 'track the metric' instead of 'metric something.'
✕This is a very important measurement metric.
✓This is a very important metric.— Metric already means a measurement or standard, so 'measurement metric' is redundant.
✕Our metrics show that we are doing good.
✓Our metrics show that we are performing well.— Use 'well' (adverb) with verbs like 'perform,' not 'good' (adjective).
✕The metric is very high this month.
✓The metric is high this month. / The metric shows improvement this month.— Avoid vague language. Specify whether a high metric is positive (e.g., user count) or negative (e.g., error rate).

Other forms

noun

metric

"The response time metric indicates our API is slower than expected."

noun (plural)

metrics

"Our metrics dashboard shows all critical KPIs in real time."

adjective

metric

"We use a metric ton of data to generate these insights. (Note: 'metric ton' is a unit of measurement; avoid mixing this with the KPI meaning.)"

Often used with

track a metricMonitor or follow a metric over time; very common in tech teams
key metricAn important metric that directly affects business or product goals
set a metricDefine or establish a new metric to measure something
metric targetThe goal or threshold a team aims to achieve for a metric
metric dashboardA visual display that shows one or more metrics in real time
improve a metricMake a metric better or increase its value if the metric is positive
metric-drivenMaking decisions based on data and metrics rather than intuition

Similar words

KPI (key performance indicator)More formal; emphasizes that the metric is crucial to success
indicatorMore general; any sign or signal of performance or status
benchmarkA standard or reference point for comparison; slightly different focus
measurementMore general term; any act of quantifying something

Opposites

goaltarget

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your manager asks you to improve system performance. Which phrasing is most natural in tech English?

Complete the sentence

2. Our team uses a _______ dashboard to monitor API response times in real time.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses 'metric' incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this sentence using the word 'metric' naturally: 'We count how many users log in every day to see if our app is being used more.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "metric" in a standup this week?

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