metacriterion
/ˈmɛtəkɹaɪˌtɪɹiən/
metacriterion · noun — A criterion used to choose between other criteria. It carries an Arena rating of 1209, earned across 242 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, metacriterion ranks #2,457 of 17,195 for Most Exacting Words, #2,826 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #3,436 of 17,205 for The Improbable, #4,598 of 17,130 for Most Ponderous Words.
metacriterion is pronounced /ˈmɛtəkɹaɪˌtɪɹiən/.
Why “metacriterion” is a great word
METACRITERION — [Noun] A standard or principle used to select, assess, or prioritize other standards or principles. From the English prefix meta- (meaning "beyond" or "higher order") + criterion (from the Ancient Greek κριτήριον (kritḗrion), meaning "a standard for judging"). Unlike a "criterion" (a direct basis for evaluation) or a "heuristic" (a pragmatic rule of thumb for discovery), a metacriterion is the architecture behind the architecture, the rule for making the rules. It is the quiet committee selecting the rubric for a contest, the algorithm weighting the factors in a search, or the silent priority of efficiency over elegance in an engineer's mind—the ghost standard that governs all other standards, revealing the point at which our reasoning must rest on a choice it can no longer justify.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From meta- + criterion.
noun
- A criterion used to choose between other criteria.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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