- present participle of stand.
standing
Americannoun
-
rank or status, especially with respect to social, economic, or personal position, reputation, etc..
He had little standing in the community.
-
good position, reputation, or credit.
He is a merchant of standing in the community.
-
length of existence, continuance, residence, membership, experience, etc..
a friend of long standing.
-
Sports. standings, a list of teams or contestants arranged according to their past records.
According to the standings, the White Sox are leading the division by three games.
-
the act of a person or thing that stands.
-
a place where a person or thing stands.
-
Law. the right to initiate or participate in a legal action.
having standing as a friend of the court.
adjective
-
having an erect or upright position.
a standing lamp.
-
performed in or from an erect position.
a standing jump.
-
still; not flowing or stagnant, as water; stationary.
-
continuing without cessation or change; lasting or permanent.
-
continuing in operation, force, use, etc..
a standing rule.
-
customary or habitual; generally understood.
We have a standing bridge game every Friday night.
-
Printing. kept for use in subsequent printings.
standing type.
-
out of use; idle.
a standing engine.
-
Nautical. noting any of various objects or assemblages of objects fixed in place or position, unless moved for adjustment or repairs.
standing bowsprit.
-
Knots. noting the part of a rope that is in use and terminates in a knot or the like.
noun
-
social or financial position, status, or reputation
a man of some standing
-
length of existence, experience, etc
-
(modifier) used to stand in or on
standing room
adjective
-
athletics
-
(of the start of a race) begun from a standing position without the use of starting blocks
-
(of a jump, leap, etc) performed from a stationary position without a run-up
-
-
(prenominal) permanent, fixed, or lasting
-
(prenominal) still or stagnant
a standing pond
-
printing (of type) set and stored for future use Compare dead
Synonym Usage
See credit.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of standing
A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at stand, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
The word standing is used for the reputation or rank of a person or institution. The new teacher's standing will be vastly improved if he throws a pizza party once a month. As a noun, standing is frequently used in sports for comparing one team's scores to all the others': "Our standings aren't great, but my softball team is plucky!" It also means "status" or "rank," like the social standing of aristocrats and nobles in medieval society. In law, if you have standing, you have cause to bring a lawsuit against someone else. When you use standing as an adjective, it means "upright" (like your mom's new standing desk) or "permanent" )like your grandparents' standing invitation to visit them any time).
Vocabulary lists containing standing
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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!
Civilizations and Peoples of the Fertile Crescent, Lessons 3–4
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!
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.
The discovery challenges a long standing assumption that higher rates of photosynthesis naturally lead to greater tree growth.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
“This is the third day we’ve done this,” Al-Zaharnah said, standing beside the excavator.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
Smoky, savory and bright all at once, it’s especially good eaten straight from the fridge while standing in front of the open door, deciding whether you’re actually hungry enough for a second bowl.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
One night in college, she remembers eating an entire pizza, a bag of cookies, and a gallon of mint-chip ice cream while standing in her kitchen, before even removing her coat.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
I thought of The Snake standing in the barracks door that morning.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
