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

Offord, a former Conservative minister who defected from the Tories in December, is standing for the party in Inverclyde, where he grew up.

From BBC

Atacms stands for Army Tactical Missile System, while Himars is an acronym for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, an Army truck that carries expendable pods of rockets or missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

I folded back our shutters and stood for a minute admiring the window display that Betsie and I had at last agreed upon.

From Literature

Every team will have a different programme, but Stella's point fundamentally stands for all - teams plan upgrades months in advance, so the cancellation of one race or another won't change that.

From BBC

Before he left, he recounted telling his family: "Even if I die, please stand for your rights. Stand for who you are".

From Barron's

Related Words

• exemplify
• imply
• represent
• suggest
• symbolize