standard

American  

[stan-derd] / ˈstæn dərd /

noun

• standards
  plural

1. something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison; an approved model.

   Synonyms:

   guide, pattern, basis, gauge

2. an object that is regarded as the usual or most common size or form of its kind.

   We stock the deluxe models as well as the standards.

3. a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment.

   They tried to establish standards for a new philosophical approach.

   Synonyms:

   guide, pattern, basis, gauge

4. an average or normal requirement, quality, quantity, level, grade, etc..

   His work this week hasn't been up to his usual standard.

5. standards, those morals, ethics, habits, etc., established by authority, custom, or an individual as acceptable.

   He tried to live up to his father's standards.

6. a grade of beef immediately below good.

7. the authorized exemplar of a unit of weight or measure.

8. a certain commodity in or by which a basic monetary unit is stated.

9. the legally established content of full-weight coins.

10. the prescribed degree of fineness for gold or silver.

11. British. a class or grade in elementary schools.

12. a musical piece of sufficiently enduring popularity to be made part of a permanent repertoire, especially a popular song.

13. a flag indicating the presence of a sovereign or public official.

14. a flag, emblematic figure, or other object raised on a pole to indicate the rallying point of an army, fleet, etc.

15. Military.

    1. any of various military or naval flags.

    2. the colors of a mounted unit.

    3. Standard, a U.S. Navy radar-guided surface-to-air missile with a range of 10–30 miles (16–48 km).

16. Heraldry. a long, tapering flag or ensign, as of a monarch or a nation.

17. something that stands or is placed upright.

18. a long candlestick or candelabrum used in a church.

19. an upright support or supporting part.

20. Armor. a standing collar of mail.

21. Horticulture. a plant trained or grafted to have a single, erect, treelike stem.

22. Botany. a distinct petal, larger than the rest, of certain flowers; a vexillum.

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adjective

1. serving as a basis of weight, measure, value, comparison, or judgment.

2. of recognized excellence or established authority.

   a standard reference on medieval history.

3. usual, common, or customary.

   Chairs are standard furniture in American households.

4. not electric or automatic; manual.

   standard transmission.

5. conforming in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc., to the usage of most educated native speakers, especially those having prestige, and widely considered acceptable or correct: standard pronunciation.

   Standard American English;

   standard pronunciation.

6. authorized or approved.

   The program was broadcast on the standard broadcast band.

standard British  

/ ˈstændəd /

noun

1. an accepted or approved example of something against which others are judged or measured

2. (often plural) a principle of propriety, honesty, and integrity

   she has no standards

3. a level of excellence or quality

   a low standard of living

4. any distinctive flag, device, etc, as of a nation, sovereign, or special cause

5. 1. any of a variety of naval or military flags

   2. the colours of a cavalry regiment

6. a flag or emblem formerly used to show the central or rallying point of an army in battle

7. a large tapering flag ending in two points, originally borne by a sovereign or high-ranking noble

8. the commodity or commodities in which is stated the value of a basic monetary unit

   the gold standard

9. an authorized model of a unit of measure or weight

10. a unit of board measure equal to 1980 board feet

11. (in coinage) the prescribed proportion by weight of precious metal and base metal that each coin must contain

12. an upright pole or beam, esp one used as a support

13. 1. a piece of furniture consisting of an upright pole or beam on a base or support

    2. ( as modifier )

       a standard lamp

14. 1. a plant, esp a fruit tree, that is trained so that it has an upright stem free of branches

    2. ( as modifier )

       a standard cherry

15. a song or piece of music that has remained popular for many years

16. the largest petal of a leguminous flower, such as a sweetpea

17. (in New Zealand and, formerly, in England and Wales) a class or level of attainment in an elementary school

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adjective

1. of the usual, regularized, medium, or accepted kind

   a standard size

2. of recognized authority, competence, or excellence

   the standard work on Greece

3. denoting or characterized by idiom, vocabulary, etc, that is regarded as correct and acceptable by educated native speakers Compare nonstandard informal

4. (formerly) (of eggs) of a size that is smaller than large and larger than medium

Synonym Usage

Standard, criterion refer to the basis for making a judgment. A standard is an authoritative principle or rule that usually implies a model or pattern for guidance, by comparison with which the quantity, excellence, correctness, etc., of other things may be determined: She could serve as the standard of good breeding. A criterion is a rule or principle used to judge the value, suitability, probability, etc., of something, without necessarily implying any comparison: Wealth is no criterion of a person's worth.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prestandard
  noun
• superstandard
  noun
• unstandard
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• standards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of standard

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, probably from unattested Frankish standord (compare German Standort “standing-point”), conformed to -ard -ard

Explanation

A standard is an ideal or set of criteria that you use to judge things against. Colleges have certain standards for applicants, like a minimum SAT score or an above average grade point average. If you complain that the soup isn't up to your standard, you're comparing it to an ideal and finding it lacking. (Just don't be surprised if the chef then "accidentally" spills it in your lap.) The economy used to work by the gold standard, where one dollar equaled a fixed amount of gold. A standard can also be a military flag or banner on a pole. Or a popular old song that's considered a classic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

standard standards

Leaving the brush to grow violated Edison’s safety standard for “structure brushing,” the filing said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Also known as fairy penguins, they are the tiniest species of the semi-aquatic sea birds, barely reaching knee height and weighing about the same as a standard bag of sugar.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

In 1980, a standard Ralph Lauren polo was priced at $29.50, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild, a fashion preservation organization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Analysts say those choices have helped shift passenger expectations, making screens feel less like a luxury and more like a standard feature on many US flights.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The Greeks would figure out the ratio by dividing the line into tiny pieces, using, for example, a standard or yardstick half an inch long.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

The MoD said it applied UK health and safety standards so far as practicable overseas, where local standards fall below UK requirements.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The fast-food standards have them, of course, but so do regional chains and neighborhood coffee shops: download this, order ahead, skip the line, collect points, save your usual.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

"Our first question should not be what this means for a football club. It should be whether our actions match the standards we stand for and the community expects of us," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The nearly 30-year-old legal agreement ensures minimum standards for housing, education and medical care for migrant kids in federal custody, as well limits on how long they can be held in government facilities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

He sees that the new science relies on new standards of evidence.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• code
• ideal
• law
• measure
• model
• norm
• requirement
• rule
• specification
• test