standing

American  

[stan-ding] / ˈstæn dɪŋ /

noun

1. rank or status, especially with respect to social, economic, or personal position, reputation, etc..

   He had little standing in the community.

2. good position, reputation, or credit.

   He is a merchant of standing in the community.

3. length of existence, continuance, residence, membership, experience, etc..

   a friend of long standing.

4. Sports. standings, a list of teams or contestants arranged according to their past records.

   According to the standings, the White Sox are leading the division by three games.

5. the act of a person or thing that stands.

6. a place where a person or thing stands.

7. Law. the right to initiate or participate in a legal action.

   having standing as a friend of the court.

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adjective

1. having an erect or upright position.

   a standing lamp.

2. performed in or from an erect position.

   a standing jump.

3. still; not flowing or stagnant, as water; stationary.

4. continuing without cessation or change; lasting or permanent.

5. continuing in operation, force, use, etc..

   a standing rule.

6. customary or habitual; generally understood.

   We have a standing bridge game every Friday night.

7. Printing. kept for use in subsequent printings.

   standing type.

8. out of use; idle.

   a standing engine.

9. Nautical. noting any of various objects or assemblages of objects fixed in place or position, unless moved for adjustment or repairs.

   standing bowsprit.

10. Knots. noting the part of a rope that is in use and terminates in a knot or the like.

standing British  

/ ˈstændɪŋ /

noun

1. social or financial position, status, or reputation

   a man of some standing

2. length of existence, experience, etc

3. (modifier) used to stand in or on

   standing room

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adjective

1. athletics

   1. (of the start of a race) begun from a standing position without the use of starting blocks

   2. (of a jump, leap, etc) performed from a stationary position without a run-up

2. (prenominal) permanent, fixed, or lasting

3. (prenominal) still or stagnant

   a standing pond

4. printing (of type) set and stored for future use Compare dead

Synonym Usage

See credit.

Other Word Forms

• unstanding
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of standing

A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at stand, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

The word standing is used for the reputation or rank of a person or institution. The new teacher's standing will be vastly improved if he throws a pizza party once a month. As a noun, standing is frequently used in sports for comparing one team's scores to all the others': "Our standings aren't great, but my softball team is plucky!" It also means "status" or "rank," like the social standing of aristocrats and nobles in medieval society. In law, if you have standing, you have cause to bring a lawsuit against someone else. When you use standing as an adjective, it means "upright" (like your mom's new standing desk) or "permanent" )like your grandparents' standing invitation to visit them any time).

Example Sentences

The defining image of Arsenal's Champions League final defeat was Gabriel standing with his head in his hands as he was consoled by Paris St-Germain captain and Brazil team-mate Marquinhos.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

"We'll see how it works, see how it's received too... It's not a platform standing still, and that's a pretty good sign," he said.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

Kurz later recalled his surprise when Putin enthusiastically explained the benefits of regularly standing naked in the freezing chamber.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Led by evolutionary biologist Jianzhi Zhang, the research suggests that helpful mutations may be far more common than long standing theory predicts.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

The next thing I knew, Betsie was standing at the foot of the bed, a steaming cup of herb tea in her hand.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• place
• prestige
• reputation
• stature
• status