Meaning & use
to benchmark
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Meanings
verbtransitivebusiness
To measure or compare something against a standard or similar things.
Grammar: Takes an object: benchmark the performance. Often followed by 'against'.
Patterns
- benchmark something against something
- benchmark performance
- benchmark results
We need to benchmark our sales figures against last year's.
The team benchmarked the new software to see how it performed.
Companies often benchmark their customer service against industry leaders.
verbtransitivecomputing
To test the speed or performance of computer hardware or software.
Grammar: Takes an object: benchmark a processor. Often used in computing contexts.
Patterns
- benchmark a computer
- benchmark software
- benchmark performance
They benchmarked the new processor to compare it with older models.
You can benchmark your graphics card using this tool.
The app was benchmarked on several devices.
Word forms
| third person singular | benchmarks |
|---|---|
| past tense | benchmarked |
| past participle | benchmarked |
| -ing form | benchmarking |
Common combinations
- benchmark against
- We benchmark our prices against those of our competitors.
- benchmark performance
- The engineers benchmarked the performance of the new chip.
- benchmark results
- The teacher benchmarked the students' results against national averages.
- benchmark a process
- They benchmarked the manufacturing process to find inefficiencies.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- benchmark noun
- A standard or point of reference against which things are compared.
- benchmarking noun
- The process of measuring and comparing performance.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'The company decided to benchmark its customer satisfaction ___ that of its rivals.'
Choose one answer.
The verb 'benchmark' is commonly followed by 'against' when comparing to a standard or competitor. 'With' is possible in some contexts but less precise; 'to' and 'for' do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to benchmark”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.