standard of living

American  

noun

1. a grade or level of subsistence and comfort in everyday life enjoyed by a community, class, or individual.

   The well-educated generally have a high standard of living.

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standard of living British  

noun

1. a level of subsistence or material welfare of a community, class, or person

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standard of living Cultural  

1. A term describing the amount of goods and services that an average family or individual views as necessary.

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Etymology

Origin of standard of living

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

standard of living

Such developments, known locally as oil camps, once offered residents stable services and a standard of living unmatched in much of the country.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

It is that these environments may foster a blinkered way of thinking about institutions, social provision and what constitutes a normal standard of living.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Instead, the residents of Mohenjo-daro may have cooperated to give households broad access to the resources needed for a comfortable standard of living.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

He also said his standard of living was "very, very low".

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

He built brick houses for his workers, hired a teacher for the school, and raised the standard of living of everyone on his lands.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende