metrical

adjective

met·​ri·​cal ˈme-tri-kəl How to pronounce metrical (audio)
variants or metric
1
: of, relating to, or composed in meter
2
: of or relating to measurement

Examples of metrical in a Sentence

the metrical chugging of the machinery had a hypnotic effect
Recent Examples on the Web Since it was usually written in the form of a memorable metrical couplet, the epigram became portable through time as well as space. A.e. Stallings, The New York Review of Books, 17 Aug. 2023 The show ended in the exact right place and, to me, at the exact right time, before these spineless creatures and their metrical reflections and rejoinders became more self-parodic than intended. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2023 Old English poetry takes its shape from its metrical patterns and the alliteration of stressed syllables. Irina Dumitrescu, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020 Except for that last line, which is a metrical mess. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 7 Dec. 2022 Somewhere in the unconscious of the song, beneath the metrical grid, the band has located a deep, deep shuffle-like vibration: extremely heavy. James Parker, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2022 The medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight relates this eerily playful tale in 2,530 lines of alliterative verse, a springy and musical metrical form, relishing the gory details. Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 12 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metrical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

metrical going back to Middle English metricalle, from Latin metricus "relating to or composed in meter" + Middle English -alle -al entry 1; metric borrowed from Latin metricus "relating to or composed in meter, rhythmic (of the pulse)," borrowed from Greek metrikós "by measurement, relating to meter in verse," from métron "measure, space measure, poetic meter" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at meter entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of metrical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near metrical

Cite this Entry

“Metrical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metrical. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

metrical

adjective
met·​ri·​cal ˈme-tri-kəl How to pronounce metrical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or arranged in meter
2
metrically adverb

Medical Definition

metrical

adjective
met·​ri·​cal -tri-kəl How to pronounce metrical (audio)
: of, relating to, or subject to measurement
metrical genetic traits

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