substandard

adjective

sub·stan·dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd

Synonyms of substandard next

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

: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law

substandard housing

: conforming to a pattern of linguistic usage existing within a speech community but not that of the prestige group in that community

: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer

Example Sentences

a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

Recent Examples on the Web Many marginalized people, Black in particular, have faced socioeconomic factors that relegate them to living in environmentally hazardous areas or substandard housing structures. —

Lauren Lee, CNN, 14 Apr. 2023 Structural fires are a public health problem – especially in communities of color Communities of color disproportionately grapple with substandard housing, experts say, and more awareness is needed about how lack of heat efficiency poses a major safety risk. —

Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2023 Working in the shadows, asylum-seekers without well-off sponsors find themselves in limbo, stuck in substandard housing or reliant on small networks of church or immigrant advocacy groups. —

Palabra, al, 22 Mar. 2023 Farmworkers often battle pesticide exposure and, even in good times, can only afford substandard housing. —

Viviana Hinojos, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2023 Many of the families live in substandard housing with poor ventilation, which means poor air quality. —

Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2023 Agricultural laborers in California’s vast fruit fields faced low pay and deplorable working conditions—unbearable heat, 12-hour shifts, no access to water or bathrooms, exposure to toxins and pesticides, substandard housing, and illnesses that spread through the camps like wildfire. —

Nili Blanck, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2023 Real estate agents repeatedly steered her toward lower-income neighborhoods with substandard housing and no public transportation to her job in downtown Washington, Branson said. —

Katherine Shaver, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2022 That government action, as well as deed restrictions on where people of color could buy homes and other unfair practices, pushed many Black and Latino families south of downtown Phoenix and across the Salt River into substandard housing and neighborhoods with no sidewalks, public lighting or trees. —

AZCentral.com, 18 Apr. 2022 See More

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.