standardize

verb

stan·​dard·​ize ˈstan-dər-ˌdīz 

standardized; standardizing; standardizes

transitive verb

1

: to bring into conformity with a standard especially in order to assure consistency and regularity

trying to standardize testing procedures

There ought to be a law standardizing the controls for hot and cold in hotel and motel showers.

—Andrew A. Rooney

These rectangular steel boxes, first used about fifty years ago, revolutionized the transportation of freight by standardizing the size and shape of the container, enabling it to be moved seamlessly from boat and barge to rail or truck.

—James McCommons

2

: to compare with a standard : to determine the strength, value, or quality of (something) by comparison with a standard

standardize a solution

standardize a voltmeter

standardization

ˌstan-dər-də-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms

• formalize
• homogenize
• normalize
• regularize

Examples of standardize in a Sentence

He standardized procedures for the industry.

the plan is to standardize the test for reading comprehension so that we can see how students across the state compare

Recent Examples on the Web

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) took over the development of the protocol to standardize it, leading to the creation of Transport Layer Security (TLS) which in it’s modern incarnation (TLS 1.3) powers HTTPS and the modern web experience. —Alex Pruden, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The new rule, the full text of which has yet to be released to the public, will standardize companies’ annual disclosures about climate risk and require them in annual reports, said Gensler. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024

Too many different legacy data sets not standardized or tagged and in unreadable or bespoke formats. —Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

That includes standardizing the process for developing such therapies, figuring out how to appropriately test their merits, and ensuring there’s a way to pay for the whole endeavor. —Damian Garde, STAT, 21 Mar. 2024

While the origins of daylight saving time are disputed — ranging from an essay authored by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 to a pamphlet written by British builder William Willet in 1907— the time change itself is standardized. —S. Dev, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024

Some people credit Henry Ford with standardizing US traffic on the right side of the road because, in 1908, Ford Motor Co. put the steering wheel on the left side of the hugely popular Model T. Really, though, Ford was just responding to driving habits that had been largely established long before. —Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024

The salon experience is standardized, with hairstylists completing the chain’s own training program and working as employees rather than independent contractors. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024

That year, lawmakers standardized the commitment process across the state and gave county officials the option to call on crisis teams first. —Isabelle Taft, ProPublica, 1 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

standardize

verb

stan·​dard·​ize ˈstan-dərd-ˌīz 

standardized; standardizing

: to compare with or make agree with a standard

standardization

ˌstan-dərd-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

standardize

transitive verb

stan·​dard·​ize

variants also British standardise

ˈstan-dərd-ˌīz 

standardized also British standardised; standardizing also British standardising

1

: to reduce to or compare with a standard

standardize a solution

2

: to bring into conformity with a standard

3

: to arrange or order the component items of a test (as of intelligence or personality) so that the probability of their eliciting a designated class of response varies with some quantifiable psychological or behavioral attribute, function, or characteristic

standardization noun

also British standardisation

ˌstan-dərd-ə-ˈzā-shən