a level of quality that can be used as a standard when comparing other things

Her outstanding performances set a new benchmark for singers throughout the world. 她的精彩表演为全世界歌手树立了新典范。

to measure the quality of something by comparing it with something else of an accepted standard

His reports said that all schools should be benchmarked against the best. 他的报告指出，所有学校都应该以最好的学校为标准进行衡量。