standard of living

noun phrase

1

: the necessities, comforts, and luxuries enjoyed or aspired to by an individual or group

2

: a minimum of necessities, comforts, or luxuries held essential to maintaining a person or group in customary or proper status or circumstances

Examples of standard of living in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That gloom extends far beyond assessments of the current time period; the Post/Ipsos poll found that 59% of Americans doubt their family's ability to improve their standard of living, outnumbering optimists by nearly 20 points. — Emily Guskin, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Further complicating matters, municipal leaders say, the best governors and legislators have been unable to reverse the damage that property taxes have done to schools, the economy and many families’ standard of living. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026

Dimon contextualized the frustration of lower-income families, noting that, compared with the 1960s and 1970s, standards of living have improved across the board. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 15 July 2026

The report also estimates that of the 75 million global garment and textile workers, 75 percent of that workforce are women facing a 41 percent wage gap versus the adequate standard of living, as of 2025. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for standard of living

• almsgiving
• caregiving
• forgiving
• misgiving
• nonliving
• reliving
• thanksgiving
• giving
• sieving
• unforgiving

Kids Definition

standard of living

: the necessities, comforts, and luxuries that a person or group is accustomed to