substandard

American  

[suhb-stan-derd] / sʌbˈstæn dərd /

adjective

1. below standard or less than adequate.

   substandard housing conditions.

2. noting or pertaining to a dialect or variety of a language or a feature of usage that is often considered by others to mark its user as uneducated; nonstandard.

3. Insurance.

   1. not measuring up to an insurer's regular standards in undertaking risks.

      a substandard risk.

   2. pertaining to insurance written to cover substandard risks.

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substandard British  

/ sʌbˈstændəd /

adjective

1. below an established or required standard

2. another word for nonstandard

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Etymology

Origin of substandard

First recorded in 1895–1900; sub- + standard

Example Sentences

During my first watch, I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill, substandard thriller: Establish the characters, ramp up the obsession, throw a little violence in.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

Workers lived in substandard housing and were paid terrible wages, according to a Times obituary.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Allegations include around-the-clock working hours and substandard pay, breaches of safety measures and makeshift sleeping areas inside small workshops.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Though this is the first time an Australian strip has been rated substandard under the current system, there has been trouble with the MCG pitch before.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

You must be willing to work long and hard at substandard wages.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Related Words

• cheap
• inadequate
• lousy
• shoddy