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 of substandard

• unacceptable
• poor
• wrong
• lame
• deficient
• bad
• inferior
• flawed

Examples of substandard in a Sentence

a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

Recent Examples on the Web

Money and resources flowed almost entirely to sports favored by whites—cricket and rugby—while soccer was left mostly to Black South Africans, playing in substandard, ramshackle stadiums in squalid townships. —Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026

Authorities blamed substandard scaffold netting and foam boards used in a maintenance project for rapidly spreading the fire. —ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026

Under city code for substandard structures, property owners are required to keep structures in good repair. —Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026

According to the agency, counterfeiters make goods using substandard materials and parts that could break and hurt consumers. —Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for substandard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• slandered
• standard

Kids 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

Legal Definition

substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard

: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: as

a

: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law

b

: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer