substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce substandard (audio)
: 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 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 Unlike Singleton, Khatibi does believe implicit bias can unintentionally result in substandard care. Ronnie Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Some doctors following guidance by Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance or America’s Frontline Doctors have been disciplined or face the possibility of discipline from state medical boards alleging substandard medical care. Lauren Weber, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 Some of the soil was substandard and had to be replaced. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024 While living conditions for the victims have markedly improved, advocates say farmworkers across the county and beyond are still living in overcrowded, substandard housing. Ray Chavez, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2024 However, that facility was always physically substandard. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024

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.

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of substandard was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near substandard

Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

substandard

adjective
sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce substandard (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on substandard

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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