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

Zug is even more beautiful today, with a high standard of living and broad cultural possibilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Extracting oil and gas could be dirty and dangerous but huge profits drove up wages, property prices and the standard of living in north-east Scotland.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

Less than half of retirees surveyed said their standard of living is excellent or very good.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026

"Mortgages aren't cheap, your standard of living isn't cheap," she says.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

The only bright spot is, I get Haymitch to hire Hazelle as a housekeeper, resulting in some extra money for her and greatly increasing Haymitch’s standard of living.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins