par

[ pahr ]

/ pɑr /

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noun

Finance.

the legally established value of the monetary unit of one country in terms of that of another using the same metal as a standard of value.
the state of the shares of any business, undertaking, loan, etc., when they may be purchased at the original price (issue par ) or at their face value (nominal par ).

an equality in value or standing; a level of equality: The gains and the losses are on a par.

an average, usual, or normal amount, degree, quality, condition, standard, or the like: above par;to feel below par.

Golf. the number of strokes set as a standard for a specific hole or a complete course.

adjective

average or normal.

Finance. at or pertaining to par: the par value of a bond.

verb (used with object), parred, par·ring.

Golf. to equal par on (a hole or course).

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Idioms about par

at par, Finance. (of a share) purchasable at issue par or nominal par.

par for the course, exactly what one might expect; predictable; typical: They were late again, but that's par for the course.

Origin of par

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin pār “matching, equal”

Words nearby par

papula, papule, papyraceous, papyrology, papyrus, par, para, para-aminobenzoic acid, parabasis, paraben, parabiosis

Other definitions for par (2 of 4)

par²

[ pahr ]

/ pɑr /

adjective Insurance.

of or relating to participating insurance.

Origin of par

Shortening of participating

Other definitions for par (3 of 4)

par-

variant of para-¹ before a vowel: parenchyma.

Other definitions for par (4 of 4)

par.

abbreviation

paragraph.

parallel.

parenthesis.

parish.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use par in a sentence

That puts it on-par with Audi’s own R8 supercar, which requires a V10 combustion engine to hit those kinds of performance numbers.
Audi’s e-Tron GT charges up fast, but turns even faster|Stan Horaczek|February 10, 2021|Popular-Science
Surprisingly, Harvati says, a pair of roughly 2-million-year-old thumb fossils from South Africa display agility and power on a par with modern human thumbs.
Humanlike thumb dexterity may date back as far as 2 million years ago|Bruce Bower|January 28, 2021|Science News
That’s on par with the performances of Cam Newton, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford over that same time span.
Sorry, but Philip Rivers is not a Hall of Fame quarterback|Neil Greenberg|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
Michelin’s highest honor now goes to AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, which serves multi-course menus with cross-cultural influences.
Michelin Announces 2021 Stars for France|Monica Burton|January 20, 2021|Eater

Publicis may have denied a report from Campaign that it has held talks with a private equity investor about a possible deal but conversations like this are par for the course right now.
‘An ordinary course of business’: Why agency holding groups could be the next arbitrage target for private equity investors|Seb Joseph|January 15, 2021|Digiday
There are only 175 countries on that list, which puts Russia on a par with Lebanon and Nigeria.
Recession? Devaluation? Inflation? Putin Tells Russia Stay the Course.|Anna Nemtsova|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A “komitetchik par excellence,” a man of “outstanding mediocrity,” and “the grave digger of the revolution.”
Kotkin Biography Reveals Stalin's Evil Pragmatism|William O’Connor|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The city is incredibly violent for its size, on par with metropolises that dwarf the town.
The Disappearing Cops of East St. Louis|Justin Glawe|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A life-sized poster of Par Gyi greeted guests at the entrance.
Hope and Change? Burma Kills a Journalist Before Obama Arrives|Joshua Carroll|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At least five Islamists were killed, according to Seyhmus Tanrikulu, a Huda-Par leader.
Kobani is Falling to ISIS in Syria. Kurd Protests Explode in Turkey.|Jamie Dettmer|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The intellectual temperament finds voice in many great expressions, which are very Dante and also very Thomas, as Par.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor
D'o l'on peut aussy veoir, quelle esperance il y a de planter une belle chrestient par tels evangelistes.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
L'adieu et le deuil se clost par l'occision des chiens ce que le mourant ait des avants-coureurs en l'autre monde.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
C'est asss demeur la maison; sortons un peu dehors, comme nous avons promis de faire, et racontons ce qui s'est pass par le pays.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Aprs qu'ils nous eurent recogneus, ils demenerent grande joye le soir leur accoustume, par danses, chansons et harangues.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for par (1 of 4)

par

/ (pɑː) /

noun

an accepted level or standard, such as an average (esp in the phrase up to par)

a state of equality (esp in the phrase on a par with)

finance the established value of the unit of one national currency in terms of the unit of another where both are based on the same metal standard

commerce

See par value
the condition of equality between the current market value of a share, bond, etc, and its face value (the nominal par). This equality is indicated by at par, while above (or below) par indicates that the market value is above (or below) face value

golf an estimated standard score for a hole or course that a good player should makepar for the course was 72

below par or under par not feeling or performing as well as normal

par for the course an expected or normal occurrence or situation

adjective

average or normal

(usually prenominal) commerce of or relating to parpar value

Word Origin for par

C17: from Latin pār equal, on a level; see peer 1

British Dictionary definitions for par (2 of 4)

par-

prefix

a variant of para- 1

British Dictionary definitions for par (3 of 4)

par.

abbreviation for

paragraph

parenthesis

parish

British Dictionary definitions for par (4 of 4)

Par.

abbreviation for

Paraguay

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with par

par

In addition to the idiom beginning with par

par for the course

also see:

below par
on a par with
up to par

par

Idioms about par

Origin of par

Words nearby par

Other definitions for par (2 of 4)

Origin of par

Other definitions for par (3 of 4)

Other definitions for par (4 of 4)

Words related to par

How to use par in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for par (1 of 4)

Word Origin for par

British Dictionary definitions for par (2 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for par (3 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for par (4 of 4)

Other Idioms and Phrases with par