Liter (L)

Definition

A cubic decimeter (0.001 m³), the SI-accepted metric unit of volume.

History

The liter was introduced in France in 1795 as a unit of volume, defined as one cubic decimeter. It is not an SI base unit but is accepted for use with the SI.

Where it is used

Liters measure drinks and bottles, fuel and engine sizes across the metric world, and appear on beverage containers almost everywhere.

Typical uses include drinks and bottles, fuel, engine sizes.

Conversion pages

These pages convert liter to or from another unit in volume.

• Liter to US gallon

Other Volume units

• Milliliter (mL)
• US gallon (gal)
• US quart (qt)
• US pint (pt)
• US cup (cup)
• US fluid ounce (fl oz)
• Tablespoon (tbsp)
• Teaspoon (tsp)
• Cubic meter (m³)
• Cubic foot (ft³)

Sources

• BIPM SI BIPM SI Brochure (2019); the litre is an SI-accepted unit (1 L = 1 dm³) · Dataset reviewed Nov 11, 2026