(pronounced BEHNCH-mark)

A benchmark is an actual spot on a stable item used to indicate elevation, but the word is more commonly used outside of the world of topography and surveying — i.e., a point of reference from which measurements may be made. The term — also seen as bench mark — also means something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged, as well as a uniform assessment that serves as a foundation for evaluation or comparison.

Example: After the firm won top honors for its design of an innovative, technology-rich medical clinic, the principal knew that this project would be the benchmark against which all of their future healthcare projects would be measured.