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
Examples of substandard in a Sentence
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
Recent Examples on the Web
Legal filings by prisoners, medical records and expert court testimony raise flags about preventable — and potentially fatal — conditions arising from substandard care.
—
Kaley Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
Investigators say the five-alarm fire spread rapidly because of substandard mesh netting that covered bamboo scaffolding erected around the buildings for renovations, as well as highly flammable polystyrene boards that were sealed to the windows.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
Stafford has been in such a rhythm for far too long to demote him for one substandard performance against a hot Carolina Panthers team.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Tagovailoa’s substandard outing – 157 yards on 52% completion and an interception — gave way to a steady dose of touches for running backs.
—Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kaley Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Dec. 2025
Investigators say the five-alarm fire spread rapidly because of substandard mesh netting that covered bamboo scaffolding erected around the buildings for renovations, as well as highly flammable polystyrene boards that were sealed to the windows.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
Stafford has been in such a rhythm for far too long to demote him for one substandard performance against a hot Carolina Panthers team.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Tagovailoa’s substandard outing – 157 yards on 52% completion and an interception — gave way to a steady dose of touches for running backs.
—Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share