Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

standard

[stan-derd]
See more synonyms for standard on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison; an approved model.
  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.
  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. (initial capital letter)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.
Show More
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. manual; not electric or automatic: 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 American English; standard pronunciation.Compare nonstandard(def 2).
  6. authorized or approved: The program was broadcast on the standard broadcast band.
Show More

Origin of standard

1125–75; Middle English < Old French, probably < Frankish *standord (compare German Standort standing-point), conformed to -ard -ard
Related formspre·stand·ard, noun, adjectivesu·per·stand·ard, noun, adjectiveun·stand·ard, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com
1, 3. gauge, basis, pattern, guide. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

requirementcodespecificationruleidealmeasuretestmodellawnormmoralsgradecanonsamplegaugearchetypeparpatterncriterionyardstick

Examples from the Web for standards

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

British Dictionary definitions for standards

standard

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 integrityshe has no standards
  3. a level of excellence or qualitya low standard of living
  4. any distinctive flag, device, etc, as of a nation, sovereign, or special cause
    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 unitthe 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
    1. a piece of furniture consisting of an upright pole or beam on a base or support
    2. (as modifier)a standard lamp
    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
Show More
adjective
  1. of the usual, regularized, medium, or accepted kinda standard size
  2. of recognized authority, competence, or excellencethe standard work on Greece
  3. denoting or characterized by idiom, vocabulary, etc, that is regarded as correct and acceptable by educated native speakersCompare nonstandard, informal
  4. British (formerly) (of eggs) of a size that is smaller than large and larger than medium
Show More

Word Origin

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
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

Word Origin and History for standards

standard

n.

mid-12c., "flag or other conspicuous object to serve as a rallying point for a military force," from Old French estandart, probably from Frankish *standhard, literally "stand fast or firm," a compound of words similar to Gothic standan "to stand" (see stand) and hardus "hard" (see hard). So called because the flag was fixed to a pole or spear and stuck in the ground to stand upright.

The other theory connects the Old French word to estendre "to stretch out," from Latin extendere (see extend). Meaning "unit of measure" is early 14c., from Anglo-French, where it was used 13c., and is perhaps metaphoric, the royal standard coming to stand for royal authority in matters like setting weights and measures. Hence the meaning "authoritative or recognized exemplar of quality or correctness" (late 15c.).

Meaning "rule, principal or means of judgment" is from 1560s. That of "definite level of attainment" is attested from 1711 (e.g. standard of living, 1903). Some senses (e.g. "upright pole," mid-15c.) seem to be influenced by stand (v.). Standard-bearer in the figurative sense is from 1560s.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
standards in Medicine

standard

(stăn′dərd)
n.
  1. An acknowledged measure of comparison for quantitative or qualitative value; a criterion.
  2. An object that under specified conditions defines, represents, or records the magnitude of a unit.
Show More
adj.
  1. Serving as or conforming to a standard of measurement or value.
  2. Widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.