Kryteria

Kryteria is a Polish noun in the neuter gender that denotes criteria, standards, or requirements used to judge, evaluate, or decide about something. It is commonly applied in contexts such as research design, recruitment, procurement, and policy assessment. Phrases include kryteria wyboru (selection criteria), kryteria oceny (evaluation criteria), and kryteria jakości (quality criteria). The term frames what must be met for a judgment or decision to be considered valid.

Etymology traces kryteria to the Greek word kriterion, meaning a standard or rule, with the form entering Polish as kryterium in the singular and kryteria in the plural. The word is typically used in formal or technical language and often appears in lists or sections describing requirements or benchmarks.

Grammatically, kryteria is a neuter plural noun. The singular form is kryterium, with the genitive singular kryterium and the genitive plural kryteriów. Common constructions place the word after adjectives or verbs that express assessment, selection, or comparison, for example: spełniać kryteria, spełnić kryteria, ustalić kryteria.

In comparative usage, kryteria roughly correspond to the English “criteria” and should not be confused with subjective judgments; they specify objective or agreed-upon standards. In Polish, kryteria can cover qualitative or quantitative measures and may be grouped into mandatory and optional criteria depending on the decision context. See also kryterium and the related concept of standard or benchmark.