par

[pahr]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR par ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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).

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

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).

Idioms

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

Origin of par

First recorded in 1615–25, par is from the Latin word pār equal

par

[pahr]

adjective Insurance.

of or relating to participating insurance.

Origin of par

shortening of participating

par.

par-

variant of para-¹ before a vowel: parenchyma.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for par

parity, equality, level, equivalence, median, standard, criterion, mean, model, balance, norm, sameness, usual, equivalency

Examples from the Web for par

Contemporary Examples of par

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
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
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
These things are absolutely deplorable, but they were par for the course for some of the more dedicated “Gamers” in the community.
Death of ‘Gamer’ Identity: How Hardcore Trolls Pwned Themselves
Alec Kubas-Meyer
September 17, 2014
The idea of a soap being advertised as gluten-free struck me as ludicrous—roughly on par with a shampoo proclaiming to be low fat.
Celiac or Not, Gluten Free Dish Soap Is Ridiculous
Russell Saunders
July 16, 2014

Historical Examples of par

The modest ones and I, particularly, are pretty much upon a par.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
He appeared to place the regimental orderly book on a par with the Bible.
The Downfall
Emile Zola
These are his "set," par excellence, and he knows them thoroughly.
One Of Them
Charles James Lever
Some continental authorities place him on a par with Tourte.
The Bow, Its History, Manufacture and Use
Henry Saint-George
Par Saint Jaaques, they know where to make themselves merry.
Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I (of II)
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for par

par

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

par-

prefix

a variant of para- 1

par.

abbreviation for

paragraph

parenthesis

parish

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

Word Origin and History for par

1620s, "equality," also "value of one currency in terms of another," from Latin par "equal, equal-sized, well-matched," also as a noun, "that which is equal, equality," of unknown origin. Watkins suggests perhaps from PIE root *pere- "to grant, allot," with suggestion of reciprocality (see part (n.)).

Another guess connects it with PIE root *per- "to traffic in, sell" (on notion of "give equal value for"); see pornography. Meaning "average or usual amount" is first attested 1767. Golf usage is first attested 1898. Figurative use of par for the course is from 1928.

prep.

"by, for," mid-13c., from Old French par, per, from Latin per (see per).

par in Medicine

par

[pär]

n. pl. pa•ri•a (pä′rē-ə)

A pair; specifically, a pair of cranial nerves.

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