1
a
: the established value of the monetary unit of one country expressed in terms of the monetary unit of another country using the same metal as the standard of value
b
: the face amount of an instrument of value (such as a check or note): such as
(1)
: the monetary value assigned to each share of stock in the charter of a corporation
(2)
: the principal of a bond
2
: common level : equality
—usually used with on
judged the recording to be on a par with previous ones
3
a
: an amount taken as an average or norm
b
: an accepted standard
specifically
: a usual standard of physical condition or health
wasn't feeling up to par today
4
: the score standard for each hole of a golf course
The 18th hole is a par 5.
also
: a score equal to par
par
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of par in a Sentence
Noun
He made par on the ninth hole.
She finished the 18th hole three strokes under par.
He made a par on the ninth hole.
She made nine pars in a row.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
World Central Kitchen has quickly become a mainstay of American philanthropy, with contributions on par with much older organizations.
—Ashraf Khalil, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
To put things in perspective, that figure puts the platform on par with such unglamorous mid-range technology businesses as Chewy, an online pet-food purveyor, and Klaviyo, an e-mail-marketing company.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
That’d be on par with today’s Windows gaming handhelds, but not better.
—Sean Hollister, The Verge, 27 Mar. 2024
But an artist with a legacy like Shakira’s, on par with anglophone pop titans Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, should get to define her own eras accordingly.
—Suzy Exposito, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
Apple has also been testing its own large language model — codenamed Ajax — and a chatbot nicknamed Apple GPT; however, the technology isn’t up to par with its rivals’ offerings, Bloomberg reported.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Even today’s extreme wealth concentration is on par with the Gilded Age.
—TIME, 18 Mar. 2024
As golf’s popularity surges to new heights, brands are putting their own spin on classic gear and accessories needed to shoot par and get around the course.
—Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2024
Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2023
Rahm rebounded from the episode to par the final hole for his first Masters win.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2023
Green, winner of the 2019 Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, needed only to par the final two holes to win.
—Star Tribune, 2 May 2021
Teeing off in the mid-afternoon Friday in Georgia, Finau scrambled well enough to par the first three holes.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Nov. 2020
Noun
That would put this season on par with some of the most active on record, including 2020, where there were so many storms the National Hurricane Center ran out of names and had to switch to an alternate list of Greek letters.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
World Central Kitchen has quickly become a mainstay of American philanthropy, with contributions on par with much older organizations.
—Ashraf Khalil, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
To put things in perspective, that figure puts the platform on par with such unglamorous mid-range technology businesses as Chewy, an online pet-food purveyor, and Klaviyo, an e-mail-marketing company.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
That’d be on par with today’s Windows gaming handhelds, but not better.
—Sean Hollister, The Verge, 27 Mar. 2024
But an artist with a legacy like Shakira’s, on par with anglophone pop titans Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, should get to define her own eras accordingly.
—Suzy Exposito, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
Apple has also been testing its own large language model — codenamed Ajax — and a chatbot nicknamed Apple GPT; however, the technology isn’t up to par with its rivals’ offerings, Bloomberg reported.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
Even today’s extreme wealth concentration is on par with the Gilded Age.
—TIME, 18 Mar. 2024
As golf’s popularity surges to new heights, brands are putting their own spin on classic gear and accessories needed to shoot par and get around the course.
—Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
Tiger Woods resumes second round, pars first two holes to remain at 2-over Woods got through 12 holes during Friday's round and started early on Saturday trying to stay above the cut line.
—Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2023
Rahm rebounded from the episode to par the final hole for his first Masters win.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2023
Green, winner of the 2019 Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, needed only to par the final two holes to win.
—Star Tribune, 2 May 2021
Teeing off in the mid-afternoon Friday in Georgia, Finau scrambled well enough to par the first three holes.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Nov. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'par.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near par
Cite this Entry
“Par.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/par. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
par
noun
: a usual standard of physical condition or health
his insulin production … is not up to par—P. G. Donohue
P. G. DonohueLegal Definition
par
1 of 2 noun
: the face amount of an instrument of value (as a check or note): as
a
: the monetary value assigned to each share of stock in the charter of a corporation
b
: the principal of a bond
par
2 of 2 adjectiveEtymology
Noun
Latin, one that is equal, from par equal
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