Meting

Meting is the gerund form of the verb mete, meaning to measure, distribute, or administer something according to a rule or standard. In modern English, meting is mainly found in fixed phrases such as “the meting out of punishment” or “the meting of resources,” where it denotes the act of allocating or dispensing in a controlled manner. Outside these expressions, meting is rarely used as a stand-alone noun and is considered archaic or literary in many contexts.

Etymology and sense: The verb mete historically carries senses of measuring and allotting. Its usage broadened from literal measurement to the figurative sense of distributing penalties, rewards, or other goods. The noun form meting appears predominantly in legal, theological, or formal prose and is less common in everyday speech.

Usage notes: In contemporary writing, speakers and writers typically replace meting with measuring, distributing, allocating, administering, or dispensing, except in phrases where the traditional tone is desired. The distinction between meting and meeting may be a common point of confusion, but meting refers to regulation and distribution, not to gathering people.

See also: mete; measure; measure and distribute; allocation; punishment; justice.