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
The charges alleged Mulholland lacked appropriate boundaries toward patients while employed at a women's medical clinic that provided substandard care.
—
Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Many were found to be substandard, overpriced or were not built at all.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The health and safety of our students is our absolute priority, and any report of substandard food service is taken with the utmost seriousness.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
The zoo filed suit on March 17, alleging that Vertix and Barker Rinker Seacast Architecture (BRS) breached their contract by providing substandard work and materials that have led to leaks, rust and broken pumps in the Schlossman Shores habitat, which is home to five California sea lions.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
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.
Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Many were found to be substandard, overpriced or were not built at all.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The health and safety of our students is our absolute priority, and any report of substandard food service is taken with the utmost seriousness.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
The zoo filed suit on March 17, alleging that Vertix and Barker Rinker Seacast Architecture (BRS) breached their contract by providing substandard work and materials that have led to leaks, rust and broken pumps in the Schlossman Shores habitat, which is home to five California sea lions.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
