Showing results for standardize. Search instead for standardiser.

Synonyms

standardize

American

[stan-der-dahyz] / ˈstæn dərˌdaɪz /

especially British, standardise

verb (used with object)

to bring to or make of an established standard size, weight, quality, strength, or the like.

to standardize manufactured parts.
to compare with or test by a standard.
to choose or establish a standard for.

verb (used without object)

to become standardized.

standardize British

/ ˈstændəˌdaɪz /

verb

to make or become standard
(tr) to test by or compare with a standard

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of standardize

First recorded in 1870–75; standard + -ize

Explanation

To standardize something is to make it fit a certain guideline or requirement. If a school decides to standardize its grading system, it makes sure every teacher gives grades in exactly the same way. Use the verb standardize to describe what an organization or company does when it makes a product or rule conform to a certain model. Often, to standardize things is to make them all exactly the same. When a city standardizes all its playground equipment, every park begins to look alike, with the same slides, swings, and sandboxes.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing standardize

Fish in a Tree

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Early Civilizations of China, Lessons 4–6

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Struggle in Medieval Europe, Lessons 1–2

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

standardize standardizes standardized standardizing

Companionship services are fragmented, hard to standardize, and vulnerable to safety concerns.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

“We will take this as a lesson to further standardize our business processes, as well as optimize and upgrade our operations,” the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

As payments become commoditized and custody solutions standardize, margins will compress.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 2026

On its most recent earnings call, the company said it would invest several hundred million dollars to standardize its business on a global platform.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

Gey and several colleagues had already organized a committee to develop procedures to “simplify and standardize the technique of tissue culturing.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

The revised directive “simply standardizes the required forms.”

From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026

It standardizes production where possible, which lowers lead times and manufacturing costs, and its boats are smaller and cheaper to run.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

The latest development is a new rule that simplifies and standardizes the requirements for retrofits, said URM program manager Amanda Hertzfeld.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2023

The C.D.C. now has a similar process: The agency collects data from hospitals, counties and states, and then it standardizes and reports the data to the public.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2023

The complaint against the church today is reducible to this: that she standardizes her ideals and her policies in accordance with the prosperous and well-to-do.

From The Evolution of the Country Community A Study in Religious Sociology by Wilson, Warren H. (Warren Hugh)

One provision would’ve required private schools accepting public money to give a common standardized test and report results to the county superintendent, allowing more insight into the schools’ educational quality.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

The new technique builds on Professor Chapman's earlier "sunclock," a system that places the Sun's irregular cycles onto a standardized clock.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Today, South Korea no longer fits the traditional emerging-market model of competing through low-cost labor and standardized manufactured exports.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Recent debates, Anguiano said, have focused “too narrowly” on standardized testing, a UC debate that has been among the most closely watched issues in American higher education for months.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

To help level the playing field, I plan to take them on college tours and bring in specialists who can help them fill out financial aid forms and prepare for those dreaded standardized tests.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

"That means sugar yields fluctuate... and that means alcohol output changes. So standardizing production becomes difficult. Mexico solved this over decades through selective breeding. India hasn't yet," he says.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

At a time when many wealth managers are standardizing their investment approach and embracing third-party model portfolios, Jamie Williams stands out for doing his own research and security selection.

From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026

Perhaps there’s a deal to be made on increasing training for officers or standardizing uniforms and equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

McTaggart sees real potential for AI in the administrative side of agency work — organizing offers, standardizing contracts, aggregating sales data.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026

No one who has not made a study of cutting tools can realize the crying need for standardizing in that field.

From The Psychology of Management The Function of the Mind in Determining, Teaching and Installing Methods of Least Waste by Gilbreth, Lillian Moller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023