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

The state defines substandard buildings as those where repair costs to bring a site up to building codes would exceed 15% of the cost of a full structure replacement, not counting energy improvements. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026

So will Dahmen, the fan favorite playing on conditional status this year after a substandard 2025. —Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026

The substandard refereeing is a disgrace for the number one professional sport in America. —Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

His speed on deep patterns — one of his greatest strengths — has been neutralized to a large extent because of substandard quarterback play and Tagovailoa’s lack of arm strength. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 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