Definition 1 of 2
Plain English Meaning
The yardsticks used to decide whether something passes or fails, meets the rules, or is good enough to use.
Full Definition
The standards, rules, or tests against which something is measured, judged, or evaluated. In aviation, criteria are the specific conditions that must be met for an aircraft, procedure, pilot, or piece of equipment to be considered acceptable, airworthy, or compliant.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation handbooks, regulations, checklists, training standards, and personal flight-planning decisions.
Derivation
From the Greek 'kriterion,' meaning a means of judging or a standard for deciding. The same gives us 'critic' and '.' Knowing this helps because criteria are literally the points on which a is made.