substandard
adjective
sub·stan·dard
ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd 
: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: such as
a
: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law
substandard housing
b
: conforming to a pattern of linguistic usage existing within a speech community but not that of the prestige group in that community
c
: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer
Synonyms
Examples of substandard in a Sentence
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2013, a federal jury found that the company had knowingly manufactured and sold to government entities substandard plastic pipe.
—
Lindsey Choo, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
That said, Thao’s subsequent payment demands from the team for an extension to play at the Coliseum while the A’s built their Las Vegas ballpark were exorbitant and helped ensure the team’s early departure to a substandard field in Sacramento.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2024
The shootings unveiled substandard living conditions of farmworkers in coastal San Mateo County.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024
When an employee lacks the necessary job skills and delivers substandard work, their poor-quality work hurts a company.
—Steven Wasserman, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for substandard 
Lindsey Choo, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
That said, Thao’s subsequent payment demands from the team for an extension to play at the Coliseum while the A’s built their Las Vegas ballpark were exorbitant and helped ensure the team’s early departure to a substandard field in Sacramento.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 10 Oct. 2024
The shootings unveiled substandard living conditions of farmworkers in coastal San Mateo County.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024
When an employee lacks the necessary job skills and delivers substandard work, their poor-quality work hurts a company.
—Steven Wasserman, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for substandard
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substandard.' 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 substandard
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
substandard
adjective
sub·stan·dard
ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd
ˈsəb-
1
: varying from or falling short of a standard or norm
substandard housing
2
: following a pattern of linguistic usage that is not considered standard
substandard English
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