calibration.

1. The comparison or adjustment of an instrument or procedure against a reference so that its outputs can be interpreted reliably.

2. The alignment of probabilities or confidence judgments with observed frequencies of the corresponding outcomes.

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Words that belong together

• instrument calibration
• calibration curve

On the page

Instrument calibration revealed a consistent offset before the measurements were collected.

The calibration curve linked the recorded signal to known concentrations under the stated conditions.

Usage notes

Primary category: science / research / methodology. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: method specification, measurement critique, model interpretation, qualification. Disciplines: research methods, statistics, experimental design. Commonness: moderately common.