Critères

Critères is the French plural noun for standards, requisites, or conditions used to judge or decide something. In English, the corresponding words are criterion (singular) and criteria (plural). The terms trace back to the Greek kriterion, via Latin and Old French, and have long been used to indicate yardsticks by which judgments are made in philosophy, science, law, and everyday decision making.

In practice, criteria set the explicit requirements that must be met to qualify, evaluate performance, or guide a choice. They appear as inclusion or exclusion criteria in research, as selection criteria in hiring, as quality criteria in manufacturing, or as success criteria in project management. Clear criteria help ensure consistency, transparency, and defensible decisions.

In French usage, critères functions similarly as the plural of critère. In English, it is common to confuse criterion with criteria; the singular form is criterion, the plural is criteria. For example: one criterion versus two criteria, the criteria for admission, or the criterion for eligibility. Applied contexts emphasize precise articulation of each criterion to avoid ambiguity and bias in evaluation.

Related terms include standard, benchmark, requirement, and metric, all of which describe units or measures used to judge quality, performance, or suitability.