stand for

British  

verb

1. to represent or mean

2. to be or become a candidate for

3. to support or recommend

4. informal to tolerate or bear

   he won't stand for any disobedience

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stand for Idioms  

1. Represent, symbolize, as in The stars and stripes stands for our country . [Early 1600s]

2. Advocate, support, uphold, as in The National Writers Union stands for freedom of the press . [c. 1300] Also see stand up for .

3. Put up with, tolerate. This usage is generally in a negative context, as in Mother will not stand for rude behavior . [Late 1800s] Also see hold still for .

4. stand for something . Have some value or importance, as in She realized that appearances do stand for something . This usage dates from the mid-1800s but was preceded by stand for nothing , meaning “be worthless,” dating from the late 1300s. Also see stand in for .

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Example Sentences

It was the talk of the town, an opera with a little something for everyone, an opera that that stands for something culturally, spiritually and ethically.

From Los Angeles Times

"I think all the agency lads now have had enough and they just want to come out and stand for what's right."

From BBC

But in this case, the acronym stands for Honey Banana Mat -- Korean for "flavour".

From Barron's

"I'm standing for the future of this country," says Giorgi Arabuli, who has taken part in protests on the streets of Georgia's capital Tbilisi almost every night since they began a year ago.

From BBC

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network: it creates a secure private tunnel over public networks, like the internet, which can shield your online activity from prying eyes.

From Salon

Related Words

• exemplify
• imply
• represent
• suggest
• symbolize