standard

[ stan-derd ]

noun

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. Compare gold standard, silver standard, bimetallism, monometallism.
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.

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. Compare nonstandard ( def 2 ).

   Standard American English;

   standard pronunciation.

6. authorized or approved:

   The program was broadcast on the standard broadcast band.

standard

/ 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

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. See informal, nonstandard
   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

Other Words From

• pre·standard noun adjective
• super·standard noun adjective
• un·standard adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of standard¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of standard¹

C12: from Old French estandart gathering place, flag to mark such a place, probably of Germanic origin; compare Old High German stantan to stand, Old High German ort place

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

In addition, group members who had any community standards violations in a group will now require post approval for the next 30 days.

From TechCrunch

The biggest news is a set of gold standard polls released in Minnesota and New Hampshire.

From Ozy

No one was sure exactly what that encryption standard should be.

From Fortune

Even at those prices, stiff by virtual event standards, Hinson said TechCrunch expects between 10,000 and 15,000 attendees this year, roughly in line with last year’s attendance figures.

From Digiday

All but five of the top 100 films of 2019 would meet the Oscars’ standard of on-screen representation.

From Fortune

Using standard methods, the cost of printing DNA could run upwards of a billion dollars or more, depending on the strand.

From The Daily Beast

The same Pediatrics journal notes that 17 states have some form of exception to the standard parental consent requirement.

From The Daily Beast

Christopher Nolan, Interstellar “My films are always held to a weirdly high standard,” Nolan told me.

From The Daily Beast

Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.

From The Daily Beast

The End of Gangs By Sam Quinones, Pacific-Standard Los Angeles gave America the modern street gang.

From The Daily Beast

And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince's notions of virtue and vice were to be offered as a standard for all mankind.

From Project Gutenberg

The new creed, called the King's Book, approved by the houses of convocation, and made the standard of English orthodoxy.

From Project Gutenberg

The news of these successes brought crowds of volunteers to our standard.

From Project Gutenberg

As regards Great Britain, the gold standard is yet preserved for all practical purposes.

From Project Gutenberg

Above, great standard electric lamps shed their white glare upon the eddying throng casting a myriad of grotesque shadows.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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