biometric
|bi-o-met-ric|
🇺🇸
/ˌbaɪ.oʊˈmɛtrɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌbaɪ.əʊˈmɛtrɪk/
measuring life traits for identification
Etymology
'biometric' originates from Greek elements via Modern scientific coinage: 'bio-' from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life' and '-metric' from Greek 'metron' meaning 'measure'.
'biometric' was formed in English in the 20th century from the combining forms 'bio-' + 'metric'; the related noun 'biometrics' became common to denote the field and technologies.
Initially related broadly to the measurement of living things, its usage has narrowed in modern times to refer especially to measurement/analysis of human biological or behavioral traits for identification and security.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the practice or technologies of measuring biological characteristics (often referred to as 'biometrics' — techniques used for identity verification, e.g., fingerprint or facial recognition).
Biometric systems increasingly protect sensitive data in companies.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the measurement and analysis of physical or behavioral characteristics of people (used for identification or access control).
The company installed a biometric scanner for secure entry.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/28 05:01