mensurar

Mensurar is a verb found in Portuguese and in some other Romance languages, with the core meaning of determining size, extent, or quantity. It can refer to physical measurement as well as to assessment or estimation, including figurative uses such as gauging importance or risk. The term is often found in technical, legal, or scholarly contexts where precise evaluation is required.

Etymology and related terms

Mensurar derives from Latin mensurare, from mensura meaning measure. The noun form mensura denotes the act or result of measuring. In English, the cognate concept is expressed by mensuration, the branch of geometry concerned with measuring shapes and their properties. In everyday Portuguese, medidas are usually described with medir, while mensurar conveys a more formal or specialized sense.

Usage and contexts

In surveying, architecture, and civil engineering, mensurar describes the process of determining boundaries, dimensions, or volumes. In finance, risk assessment, or project planning, it can mean to gauge or appraise factors and outcomes. Metaphorical or evaluative uses are common, such as mensurar a importância de algo (to gauge the importance of something) or mensurar riscos.

Cross-linguistic notes

Portuguese uses mensurar in formal or technical texts; in Spanish, a cognate exists but the verb medir is far more common in everyday language. In Latin and historical writings, forms of mensurare appear as standard Latin vocabulary.

See also

Mensuration, measurement, metrology, land surveying.