standard

noun

stan·dard | \ ˈstan-dərd

Definition of standard

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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

d : banner sense 1

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

5a : 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

7a : 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.

standard

adjective

Definition of standard (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from standard Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing standard Learn More About standard

Choose the Right Synonym for standard

Noun

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 All versions will get the AMG Aerodynamics package as standard. — Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 15 May 2022 According to France, the festive frock was one of just two outfits Ismail has worn that's not a standard onesie. — Claire Harmeyer, PEOPLE.com, 14 May 2022 Together, these three major device platform vendors agreed to extend the cross-collaboration and use of a technology standard created by an industry organization called the FIDO Alliance that, eventually, will rid us of the need for passwords. — Bob O'donnell, USA TODAY, 13 May 2022 Mark Cancian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the major challenge initially for Ukraine and its allies was acquiring Soviet-standard shells to fit the D-30 howitzers that Kyiv already possessed. — Patrick Galey, NBC News, 13 May 2022 At minimum the act sets another standard for compliance. — Dan Weil, WSJ, 12 May 2022 Note that this will only be available for users who have routers that support the Wi-Fi 6E standard. — Yoni Heisler, BGR, 12 May 2022 When the modern beauty standard embraced a more exaggerated hourglass shape — a microscopic waist eclipsed by a large, round bottom — butt-augmentation surgeries that help women achieve this look were propelled into the mainstream. — New York Times, 11 May 2022 But by far the most controversial change will be to make ASL-English bilingual education the districtwide standard for early intervention with deaf and hard-of-hearing students. — Sonja Sharpstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective According to Al Jazeera, Shireen Abu Akleh — who was also an American citizen — was wearing a standard-issue protective press vest when she was shot in the back of the head while reporting in the town of Jenin. — Kat Bouza, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2022 For a long time, no one looked back—who wanted intertitles when audible dialogue and full orchestral scores were standard issue? — David Mermelstein, WSJ, 9 May 2022 The 6-foot-8 wing went from signing a second two-way contract to averaging more than 20 minutes per game and earning a standard deal in March before scoring 32 points or more twice in April. — Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2022 Earlier Sunday morning, the Cavs converted reserve center Moses Brown’s contract to a standard NBA deal. — Chris Fedor, cleveland, 10 Apr. 2022 There's no word yet on price, either for this special edition or for the standard-issue, V-12–powered Maybach S680, but both are likely to command well over $200,000. — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 5 Apr. 2022 One option the Indiana front office has with their open roster spot is converting the contract of a two-way player to a standard deal. — Tony East, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2022 The Spurs recently rewarded the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Cacok by converting his two-way contract into a standard NBA deal. — Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Mar. 2022 Guard Javonte Smart, who was signed to a two-way contract on Feb. 15 after forward Caleb Martin was converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal, is expected to rejoin the team for the first time since being cut at the end of training camp. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 24 Feb. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'standard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard. Accessed 19 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for standard

standard

noun

stan·dard | \ ˈstan-dərd

Kids Definition of standard

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something set up as a rule for measuring or as a model a standard of weight "There have to be standards. We can't have kids walking around saying 'ain't' …"— Andrew Clements, Frindle

2 : the personal flag of the ruler of a state

3 : an upright support a lamp standard

4 : a figure used as a symbol by an organized body of people

standard

adjective

Kids Definition of standard (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : used as or matching a model or rule to compare against standard weight

2 : regularly and widely used It's a standard practice in the trade. The script is standard … and so are the costumes …— Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

3 : widely known and accepted to be of good and permanent value The book is a standard reference work on grammar.

standard

noun

stan·dard | \ ˈstan-dərd