critère

Critère (plural critères) is a French noun that denotes a standard, principle, or test by which something is judged, decided, or classified. It corresponds to the English term criterion and is used across disciplines to articulate the conditions that must be met for a judgement to be made.

Etymology and form: The word derives from Latin criterion, from Greek kriterion, meaning “a means for judging,” and entered French through historical usage. In French, the accent and plural form are critère and critères, respectively.

Usage and domains: In everyday and formal French, criteria frame expectations in education, employment, law, statistics, and science. Examples include critères d'admission (admission criteria), critères d'éligibilité (eligibility criteria), and critères d'évaluation (evaluation criteria). In analytical contexts, a criterion expresses a property used to determine whether an observation belongs to a category or whether a hypothesis is supported. In project management and policy, success criteria define what constitutes a successful outcome.

Types and relationships: Criteria can be described as necessary or sufficient, or as part of a broader decision rule. They may be qualitative or quantitative and are often operationalized as measurable variables in research or evaluation. The clarity and validity of criteria influence the reliability of judgments and decisions.

Notes on usage: In English, the singular is criterion and the plural criteria; in French, singular critère and plural critères. When translating or switching between languages, aligning number and agreement is important to preserve meaning. Critères are frequently enumerated to specify the standards used for assessment or selection.