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par

noun

ˈpär How to pronounce par (audio)
Definition of parnext
1
as in standard
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared that last dining experience was not quite up to par

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in equivalence
the state or fact of being exactly the same in number, amount, status, or quality these California wines are on a par with the best produced in Europe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in average
what is typical of a group, class, or series a pulse of 70 is par for people of that age group

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of par That’s pretty much par for the recent course for Langley’s album; that figure was down just 1% from the previous week for her. — Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026 Vicki disengaging is par for the course at this point — and speaking of par, the women arrive at the country club to practice their golf swings and deliver enough material to fill an episode. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report on brands found that 88% of respondents considered trusting a brand an important or critical purchase criterion—essentially on par with quality and value. — Jonathan Brierre, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 In the first, AI is a helpful sidekick for workers, and its impact is roughly on par with the internet. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for par
Recent Examples of Synonyms for par
  1. standard
  2. equivalence
  3. average
  4. criterion
  5. equivalency
  6. normal
  7. benchmark
  8. equality
Noun
  • Under questioning, Patel denied that the changes reflected a lowering of employment standards and insisted they were designed to prevent victims who'd been forced to engage in that conduct from being automatically disqualified.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • No function is better positioned to set that standard than the office of the CFO.
    — Hemant Kapadia, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of standard
Noun
  • The great physicist Albert Einstein had predicted in his theory of gravity an equivalence principle, which the scientists wondered, applied to quantum objects as well.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Although there is no moral equivalence between the two, both are manifestations of the same problem.
    — Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of equivalence
Noun
  • The report also notes that the level of ozone was below average across a large area that extended from Greenland and Europe into Central Asia, Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The situation can be extra frustrating in 2026, as most carriers have significantly raised the cost of checking luggage on domestic and short-haul international routes to an average of $45 for the first bag.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of average
Noun
  • Maximum temperatures are expected in the upper 80s and lower 90s with peak heat indices reaching 100-107 degrees ahead of daily storms, but below heat advisory criteria.
    — Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The order gives Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 90 days to determine whether the wolves have met federal recovery criteria for delisting or downlisting under the Endangered Species Act.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of criterion
Noun
  • The measure also prohibits undocumented students from enrolling in adult general education programs in high schools and state colleges, which help prepare those taking the GED exam for the equivalency of a high school diploma.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There’s an equivalency with Platner, and some of it has to do with a populist style of politics.
    — Nicholas Jacobs, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of equivalency
Noun
  • Our extended winter weather forecasts emphasize temperature and precipitation deviations from averages, or normals.
    — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But with climate change, the pace of this July’s flash flooding, and that of the past two years, may just be the new normal for mid-summer.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Definition of normal
Noun
  • Before the law went into effect in October 2024, the state Department of Public Health specified in a memo to hospital administrators that each hospital department must comply with the 80% benchmark.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Labor Day Weekend Headphones Deals The Bose QuietComfort headphones remain the industry benchmark for silencing everyday distractions.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of benchmark
Noun
  • Steinem, who died this past week at the age of 92, refused to accept sports, in particular, as a patriarchy, working to create paths for equality for women who chose to compete on the same level with men.
    — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Gloria Steinem, the pioneering feminist, journalist, and activist who spent more than six decades fighting for women’s equality, died on September 2, 2026, at age 92.
    — Gloria Steinem, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of equality

Phrases Containing par

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papules
par
parable
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Cite this Entry

“Par.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/par. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about par

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