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
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Economic challenges — including standard of living, rising prices, and low wages — were most often cited as the top domestic problem across 107 countries polled by Gallup last year. Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026 More than 60% of Florida’s education staff professionals earn less than $35,000 a year, far below the $61,002 minimal living wage needed for a single parent with one child to have a modest standard of living. Andrew Spar, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026 Americans in 41 states lost purchasing power, but Americans living in nine states managed to eke out a better standard of living, the study said. Medora Lee, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026 During this time, Americans experienced dramatic improvements in both their standard of living and quality of life. Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for standard of living

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of standard of living was in 1825

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Cite this Entry

“Standard of living.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard%20of%20living. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

standard of living

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

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