standard 1 of 2

noun

ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce standard (audio)
Definition of standardnext
1
as in criterion
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared the animation in that movie set the standard against which all later animated cartoons were judged

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2
as in flag
a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as an emblem or for signaling a ship flying the queen's standard

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3
as in normal
what is typical of a group, class, or series somewhat shorter than the standard for boys that age

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4
as in morality
standards plural the code of good conduct for an individual or group a life guided by high standards

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standard

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in usual
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events a standard bandage is all that that wound needs

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2
as in typical
having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind he's pretty much your standard high-school jock

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3
as in conventional
accepted, used, or practiced by most people standard procedure

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun standard contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of standard are criterion, gauge, touchstone, and yardstick. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

In what contexts can criterion take the place of standard?

The meanings of criterion and standard largely overlap; however, criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

When can gauge be used instead of standard?

While the synonyms gauge and standard are close in meaning, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When could touchstone be used to replace standard?

While in some cases nearly identical to standard, touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

How are the words yardstick and criterion related as synonyms of standard?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

How does the noun standard contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of standard are criterion, gauge, touchstone, and yardstick. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

In what contexts can criterion take the place of standard?

The meanings of criterion and standard largely overlap; however, criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

When can gauge be used instead of standard?

While the synonyms gauge and standard are close in meaning, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When could touchstone be used to replace standard?

While in some cases nearly identical to standard, touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

How are the words yardstick and criterion related as synonyms of standard?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

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 standard
Noun
No, but really, the military has relaxed some of their standards around aesthetics or other standards that kept some qualified people out, like tattoos. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 7 Mar. 2026 The chicharrons serve as the tortilla chips in these nachos that are pretty spicy by theme park standards. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Under standard procedure, DHS had 90 days to respond to the report with a corrective action plan. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 The first step, experts say, is saturating the skin with an essence (similar to a traditional toner) to boost moisture retention, followed by an emulsion in place of a standard moisturizer. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for standard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standard
  1. criterion
  2. flag
  3. normal
  4. morality
  5. usual
  6. typical
  7. conventional
  8. benchmark
Noun
  • Depending on your criteria, the 19-year-old actor has starred in or appeared in as many as 14 projects involving established IP.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The restaurants were selected by members of the Courier Journal newsroom based on various criteria, including taste, texture, cheese and topping to chip (or tot) ratio, creativity, flavor, and more.
    — Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of criterion
Noun
  • Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade, and the country’s national anthem could be played for gold medalists for the first time on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
    — Tales Azzoni, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Iran’s armed forces denied launching drones at Azerbaijan and suggested the incident may have been a false-flag operation by Israel.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Definition of flag
Noun
  • Afternoon temperatures will remain closer to climatological normals for early March, in the upper 60s and low 70s.
    — Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
  • On Tuesday, off-and-on showers and thunderstorms will continue across the area, with a few storms south of Interstate 70 capable of small hail as temperatures climb into the upper 40s, which is just a couple degrees below normal for this time of year.
    — Robert A. Cronkleton March 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of normal
Noun
  • Better Go Mad in the Wild, Sinéad O’Shea’s capitalism and morality doc All About the Money, and Werner Herzog’s nature film Ghost Elephants.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Agents do not seek truth or morality.
    — Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of morality
Adjective
  • China’s consumer-price growth accelerated to the quickest in over three years and factory deflation moderated again, after a rally in energy markets and as household spending boomed during a later-than-usual Lunar New Year holiday.
    — Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Even with a chunk of its usual rotation out, the Heat’s depth was still on display.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of usual
Adjective
  • While most missing items are typical things that people travel with like cellphones, backpacks and glasses, Diaz said there have been a number of unique items turned in, including a prosthetic leg, musical instruments, 55-inch-screen TVs and large generators.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Concerns have focused in particular on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran's coast that a fifth of the world's oil sails through on a typical day.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of typical
Adjective
  • The key innovation in this motor lies in the use of amorphous steel, a material that differs from conventional electrical steels commonly used in motor cores.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Our goal is also always to bring together established and emerging voices, challenging the conventional formats.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of conventional
Noun
  • To date, the device has met a key performance benchmark, with an average effective stiffness of 5 kN/mm over small displacements.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Optimism in the country has been growing for a number of years as Japan embraced corporate governance reforms, but the benchmark rallied to fresh all-time highs this year following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s victory.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of benchmark

Phrases Containing standard

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stand-alone
standard
standard-bearer
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Cite this Entry

“Standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standard. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of standard for Spanish Speakers

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