standard

1 of 2

noun

stan·​dard ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce standard (audio)
1
: a conspicuous object (such as a banner) formerly carried at the top of a pole and used to mark a rallying point especially in battle or to serve as an emblem
2
a
: a long narrow tapering flag that is personal to an individual or corporation and bears heraldic devices
b
: the personal flag of the head of a state or of a member of a royal family
c
: an organization flag carried by a mounted or motorized military unit
3
: something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example : criterion
quite slow by today's standards
4
: something set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality
5
a
: the fineness and legally fixed weight of the metal used in coins
b
: the basis of value in a monetary system
the gold standard
6
: a structure built for or serving as a base or support
7
a
: a shrub or herb grown with an erect main stem so that it forms or resembles a tree
b
: a fruit tree grafted on a stock that does not induce dwarfing
8
or standard petal
a
: the upper, large, often lobed petal of a papilionaceous flower (as of a pea or bean plant) : banner sense 6, vexillum sense 3 compare keel entry 2 sense 2b, wing entry 1 sense 2e(2)
b
: one of the three inner usually erect and incurved petals of an iris compare fall entry 2 sense 3f
9
: a musical composition (such as a song) that has become a part of the standard repertoire
10
: a vehicle with a manual transmission : manual
Her new car is a standard.
standardless adjective

standard

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: constituting or conforming to a standard especially as established by law or custom
standard weight
b
: sound and usable but not of top quality
standard beef
2
a
: regularly and widely used, available, or supplied
standard automobile equipment
b
: well-established and very familiar
the standard opera
3
: having recognized and permanent value
a standard reference work
4
: substantially uniform and well established by usage in the speech and writing of the educated and widely recognized as acceptable
standard pronunciation is subject to regional variations
standardly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for standard

standard, criterion, gauge, yardstick, touchstone mean a means of determining what a thing should be.

standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

Examples of standard in a Sentence

Noun By modern standards, the house is just too small. This book is the standard by which all others must be judged. Adjective a window of standard width The movie was a pretty standard romantic comedy. The word is considered standard.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Latham did not answer questions regarding the removal of the slide and instead stated that playground equipment was installed and designed with industry standards and that it is routinely inspected by its park rangers. Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Some banks continue to tighten credit standards in 2024, according to the latest Fed survey, taken in January. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The goal is to set a new standard of openness from your end and to get in the practice of erecting boundaries with them moving forward. Elaine Welteroth, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 The Reclaim Party also posted on X that Fox had been arrested. London charges a daily fee for driving in what is known as the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) if a car does not meet the emission standards set out by the city. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Yet that hasn’t stopped regulators from implementing comprehensive safety standards that require seatbelts, airbags, and backup cameras on cars. David Evan Harris, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2024 Regularly conduct comprehensive compliance audits, not just as a routine task but as a proactive measure to guarantee adherence to the highest standards. Mike Kijewski, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The agency is known for its meticulous selection process for dental clinics to ensure all the facilities possess health tourism authorization certificates and adhere to global standards. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Furnished to the highest standards, the stateroom is adorned with an upholstered bed, chaise lounge, mirror TV, marble bulkheads, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Yet he was allowed to keep his tennis shoes against the chief psychiatrist’s orders, and he was placed unmonitored in a standard cell instead of a suicide-resistant cell. Don Thompson, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Separately, Biden will also call for raising the standard corporate rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, after the 2017 GOP tax law championed by President Donald Trump — Biden’s likely opponent again in this year’s election — cut it from 35 percent to 21 percent. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The Mindy Project and Afterparty actor was the first-ever ToC contestant to originate on Celebrity Jeopardy rather than the show’s standard edition. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 The company went into great detail about the dual-motor electric powertrain and standard all-wheel drive system. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 The Hurricane is an inline-six with two turbochargers in two flavors, standard and high-output, with a difference of 120 horsepower (420 hp versus 540 hp) and 52 pound-feet of torque (469 lb-ft versus 521 lb-ft) between them. Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 Idealism is not a standard requirement for campaign combat. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 This allowed Yurtseven to become an unrestricted free agent and sign with the Jazz, as the Heat instead signed veteran center Thomas Bryant and promoted developmental center Orlando Robinson from a two-way deal to a standard contract in free agency this past summer. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 But there was almost nothing standard about what Stapleton did following the sound-marred opening sets by Elle King and the rootsy Oklahoma country band Turnpike Troubadours. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French estandard banner, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English standan to stand and probably to Old High German hart hard

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of standard was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near standard

Cite this Entry

“Standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

standard

1 of 2 noun
stan·​dard ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce standard (audio)
1
a
: a figure used as an emblem by an organized body of people
the eagle was the Roman legion's standard
b
: the personal flag of the ruler of a state
2
a
: something set up by authority or by general consent as a rule for measuring or as a model
a standard of weight
standards of good manners
b
: the basis of value in a monetary system
the gold standard
3
: a structure that serves as a support
a lamp standard

standard

2 of 2 adjective
1
: used as or meeting a standard established by law or custom
standard weight
2
: regularly and widely used
standard practice in the trade
3
: having recognized and permanent value
standard reference works
4
: well established by usage in the speech or writing of the educated and widely recognized as acceptable
standard spelling

Medical Definition

standard

1 of 2 noun
stan·​dard ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce standard (audio)
: something set up or established by an authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality

standard

2 of 2 adjective
: constituting or conforming to a standard especially as established by law or custom
standard weight

Legal Definition

standard

noun
stan·​dard
1
: something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model, example, or point of reference
the standard of the reasonable person
2
: something established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality
3
: the basis of value in a monetary system

More from Merriam-Webster on standard

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