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
Despite to this day being a thriving port city and with so many people so close to the sea, Naples has plenty of substandard fish restaurants.
—
Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 27 May 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of substandard conditions.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 27 May 2026
Calling Southern schools for Black children in the first half of the 20th century substandard to those for white children would be a gross insult to the word substandard.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Deadly outcomes in more than a dozen cases could be linked, in part, to substandard treatment by at-times understaffed medical teams dealing with escalating detainee populations, according to a review of autopsy reports, court records and interviews with detainees and experts.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
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Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 27 May 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of substandard conditions.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 27 May 2026
Calling Southern schools for Black children in the first half of the 20th century substandard to those for white children would be a gross insult to the word substandard.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Deadly outcomes in more than a dozen cases could be linked, in part, to substandard treatment by at-times understaffed medical teams dealing with escalating detainee populations, according to a review of autopsy reports, court records and interviews with detainees and experts.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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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