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

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.

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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.

UnitedHealthcare is aiming to standardize pre-authorization requirements among its different lines of business, which include Medicare, Medicaid and employer plans.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 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

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

From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026

Liens are recorded in state Uniform Commercial Code databases across the country, with the public filings intended to standardize interstate transactions and alert creditors about business debts and financial obligations.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 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

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