body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

Examples of body mass index in a Sentence

A person with a body mass index of more than 30 is considered to be obese.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Because of this, measures of simple size, whether body mass index, waist measurement or anything else aren’t a reliable predictor of health. Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2025 Eight specific habits — diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure — appear to have twice the impact on heart health risk for women compared to men, found researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 25 Mar. 2025 Researchers controlled for confounding factors including age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption, and history of high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 10 Mar. 2025 Researchers adjusted their findings to account for variables such as age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, total calorie intake, as well as other dietary patterns using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index. Julianna Bragg, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for body mass index

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of body mass index was in 1983

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Cite this Entry

“Body mass index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20mass%20index. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

body mass index

noun
: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

Medical Definition

body mass index

noun
: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters
a body mass index in adults of 25 to 29.9 is considered an indication of overweight, and 30 or more an indication of obesity
abbreviation BMI

called also Quetelet index

More from Merriam-Webster on body mass index

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