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

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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.

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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

The industry pledged last year to standardize electronic submissions and deliver at least 80% of decisions in real time by 2027, part of a broader push to ease administrative burdens and improve transparency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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

With AI highlighting nuances between role titles and the actual skills necessary and tasks performed, companies can then begin to standardize roles to help support business operations and career trajectories.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 13, 2026

Agents were now expected to standardize the way they filed their case reports, on single sheets of paper.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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

This latest iteration of Thread standardizes border routers so that companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google can produce them in a way that device vendors can rely on.

From The Verge ● Jul. 19, 2022

You've got to know whether it standardizes production and marketing, or just markets by as many methods as there are producers.

From How To Write Special Feature Articles A Handbook for Reporters, Correspondents and Free-Lance Writers Who Desire to Contribute to Popular Magazines and Magazine Sections of Newspapers by Bleyer, Willard Grosvenor

“These approaches create a gap. Insurers often rely on standardized estimating software built on regional averages, while contractors price work based on current labor availability, material shortages, permit requirements, and real construction conditions.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

“It’s not whether or not standardized tests are good or bad,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Participation in the government’s proposed standardized health insurance program is expected to be voluntary, giving private hospitals greater flexibility in managing patient capacity, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Shockingly, the letter seems to be pushing for a return to standardized tests by, in effect, arguing that a growing percentage of their students are simply too stupid to succeed, no matter what professors do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Yet their stone tools were still crude by comparison with modern New Guineans’ polished stone axes and were usually not yet made in standardized diverse shapes, each with a clearly recognizable function.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

"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

The next phase of research will focus on evaluating the method in people while also expanding and standardizing production.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 7, 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

Successful manufacture on a large scale is possible only by standardizing the methods of production.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

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