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

• bad
• bastard
• bush
• bush-league
• crummy
• crumby
• deficient
• dissatisfactory
• ill
• inferior
• lame
• lousy
• off
• paltry
• poor
• punk
• sour
• suboptimal
• subpar
• unacceptable
• unsatisfactory
• wack [slang]
• wanting
• wretched
• wrong

Examples of substandard in a Sentence

a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

Recent Examples on the Web

Former Mayor Williams says many children are bitten by rats, and the problem is worse where residents live in substandard housing and are preoccupied with more pressing challenges than trash containment. —Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024

But the substandard showing is only half of Arizona’s problem. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024

Coleman was a beloved community figure known for reviving the Juneteenth celebration in Phoenix, helping establish the St. Mary's Food Bank, and leading a rent strike at the Matthew Henson Housing Project to improve substandard living conditions for tenants during the 1960s. —Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024

That vague description meant some students took substandard classes that didn’t count toward graduation. —Erin Einhorn, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024

The department struggles to contact out-of-state owners to address substandard living conditions, according to a department official during a Senate committee hearing. —Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024

The World Health Organization has estimated that one in ten medical products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified. —Ashleigh Furlong, Fortune Europe, 13 Mar. 2024

Comment: Obviously, the Bears’ substandard performance Thursday night was an attempt to lull Stanford into a false sense of security ahead of the Las Vegas matchup. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024

The government instituted new safety regulations, but in Pocheon many workers continue to live in substandard facilities. —Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

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