standard 1 of 2

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

standard

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adjective

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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

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
One web company, Meta, has explored Ethernet fabrics for AI clusters as well as InfiniBand, an alternative networking standard pioneered partly by Mellanox, a networking hardware maker that Nvidia acquired for $7 billion in 2020. Jordan Novet, CNBC, 14 May 2025 Speaking at the Lowry Theatre in Salford on Wednesday, Davie responded to a question from Nazir Afzal, a board member of the creative industries independent safeguarding agency, about trust and workplace standards. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 May 2025
Adjective
Due to its close adjacency to water, the house’s steel and masonry components are under more threat of decline over time than in a standard countryside retreat. Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 15 May 2025 That’s about $800,000 more than the starting price of a standard AMG G63. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for standard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standard
Noun
  • The current criteria for the board's members includes a requirement for two female members and two members who are racial minorities.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025
  • The track record of the committees that will decide on Rose and Bonds and Clemens indicates that those voters believe in criteria beyond statistics, so jumping to the immediate conclusion — Rose is getting in! — may be no sure thing.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Through Grit, Spit, and Never Quit — whose cover sees a banged up Riggle posing side by side with a bald eagle, a tiny American flag tucked neatly behind his ear — the comedian hopes to not only inspire laughter, but also just flat-out inspire.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 May 2025
  • The first lady greeted children in the East Garden, assisting the kids with decorating American flags.
    Ashley J. DiMella, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • For McClain, a colonel and Master Army aviator, that means adapting to a new normal of living and working in space.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • The movie’s over-all arc is a common one: from the unquestioned routines of daily life to the strange new normal of risks and precautions, fears and constraints, illness and deaths; from there to an eventual sense of wary relief.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In the film, morality becomes ambiguous, and malleable even, as Coogler brilliantly illustrates duality in his characters and their development while incorporating themes of Hoodoo and Christianity.
    Nia Shumake, Essence, 15 May 2025
  • Global Constellation has unveiled a first exclusive still for the film, described as a harrowing and timely meditation on the collapse of morality in wartime, and the cost of survival when humanity itself is on the brink.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Of all Recall’s risks, the capture of secure comms and documents outside of their usual enclave is top of the list.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • No doubt this has had an impact on his play in the second major of the season, where his driving has been far from his usual quality.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Social Security payments are set to go out May 14 – a few days later than is typical.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • However, the typical analyst expects shares to slide from here.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • While conventional productivity tools address symptoms, one mindset consistently proves more effective as a long-term defense: curiosity.
    Rob Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Today, SpaceX routinely reuses capsules and rockets that look much more like conventional space vehicles than the winged designs of yesteryear.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • One common misstep: assuming bigger models and better benchmarks translate to a better user experience.
    Shiva Chandrashekher, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
  • Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.23%, while the Topix added 0.12% after Japan’s economy contracted 0.2% quarter-on-quarter for the three months ended March.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standard. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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