Guide 207 / 366 4 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “criteria”
Four sharper words for "criteria."
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Criteria" (plural of criterion) is fine in formal writing. The swaps pick the specific kind of standard — measurable benchmarks, gating tests, or scoring rules.
ii · The swaps4 ways
- 01Benchmarks neutral
measurable targets
The benchmarks were latency, cost, and uptime.
- 02Standards formal
rule-bound
The standards apply to all suppliers.
- 03Requirements formal
must-haves
The requirements list ten items.
- 04Yardsticks neutral
comparative
Two yardsticks: speed and accuracy.