Meaning & use
milliliters measure
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that the unit of milliliters is the one that shows how much liquid or space a thing takes up.
Grammar: Comes after its subject: 'Milliliters measure volume.' The verb agrees with the plural noun, so use 'measure,' not 'measures.'
Patterns
- milliliters measure something
- something is measured in milliliters
Milliliters measure volume, so they tell you how much space a liquid fills.
On this bottle, milliliters measure the amount of syrup inside.
In science class we learned that milliliters measure small amounts of liquid.
nouncountable
A unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a liter, often written as ml.
Grammar: Countable and usually used in the plural after a number: 'Add 50 milliliters.' The short form 'ml' stays the same in the plural.
Patterns
- a number of milliliters
- milliliters of something
- X milliliters
The recipe says to add 250 milliliters of water.
The nurse drew five milliliters of blood for the test.
This small carton holds 200 milliliters of cream.
Word forms
| short form | ml |
|---|---|
| British spelling | millilitres |
Common combinations
- milliliters of water
- Pour two hundred milliliters of water into the pan.
- measured in milliliters
- The dose is measured in milliliters.
- a few milliliters
- Only a few milliliters of the medicine are needed.
- hundreds of milliliters
- The jug can hold hundreds of milliliters.
- milliliters per liter
- The label shows milliliters per liter of solution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cubic centimeters
- Equal in size to milliliters, but this term is used more in technical or medical writing than in cooking.
- cc
- A short written form of cubic centimeter, common on medicine labels; it means the same amount as a milliliter.
Word family
- milliliter noun
- The singular form: one thousandth of a liter.
- liter noun
- The larger unit; one liter equals one thousand milliliters.
- milligram noun
- A unit of weight, not volume; do not mix it up with milliliter.
Commonly confused: milliliters measure or milligrams? milliliters measure or millimeters?
milliliters measure vs milligrams
Milligrams measure weight or mass, while milliliters measure volume. A milliliter of water weighs about one gram, but the two units are not the same.
milliliters measure vs millimeters
Millimeters measure length, so they answer 'how long?' rather than 'how much liquid?'
Practice
Which sentence uses 'milliliters measure' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Milliliters are units of volume, so they show how much space a liquid fills. Length is measured in millimeters, weight in milligrams, and temperature in degrees, so the other options use the wrong kind of measurement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “milliliters measure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.