mesurer

Mesurer is a French verb meaning to determine the size, amount, degree, or extent of something by comparing it with a standard unit or by estimation. It is used in science, engineering, commerce, and daily life to quantify physical properties such as length, mass, time, temperature, and volume, as well as more abstract quantities like risk, quality, or performance. The noun mesure denotes the result of measuring or the act of measuring, and in other contexts also refers to a policy or administrative measure (mesures).

Origin and forms: Mesurer derives from Old French mesurer, from Latin mensurare, based on mensura “measure.”

Conjugation: Mesurer is a regular -er verb. Present tense: je mesure, tu mesures, il mesure, nous mesurons, vous mesurez, ils mesurent. Passé composé: j'ai mesuré. Imperfect: je mesurais, tu mesurais, il mesurait, nous mesurions, vous mesuriez, ils mesuraient. Present participle: mesurant. Past participle: mesuré.

Usage and methods: Measurement involves selecting appropriate units, tools, and procedures. Units may be SI-based, such as the meter, liter, or gram, with results ideally traceable to international standards. Accuracy, precision, and calibration affect reliability. Instruments range from simple rulers and tape measures to calipers, micrometers, and electronic sensors. Proper metrological practice requires error analysis, uncertainty estimation, and documentation of methods.

In language and culture: The verb is used for both literal measurement and figurative assessment, as in “mesurer la performance” or “se mesurer à quelqu’un” (to compare oneself with someone). The noun mesure also denotes policy measures, such as safety or economic measures.