| benchmark [`bench´märk] ENGINEERING A relatively permanent natural or artificial object bearing a marked point whose elevation above or below an adopted datum-for example, sea level-is known. Abbreviated BM. INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING A standard of measurement possessing sufficient identifiable characteristics common to the individual units of a population to facilitate economical and efficient comparison of attributes for units selected from a sample. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY A reference value against which a measurement or a series of measurements may be compared. |