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

For years, athletes and others connected to the Iowa State gymnastics program had raised concerns about the substandard conditions of its practice facility and the overall lack of resources, as USA Today reported in a retrospective last month. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 27 Apr. 2026

This reality is forcing families and individuals to live in substandard conditions or pushing them out of their communities. —Ryan Von Weller, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026

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

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