substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce substandard (audio)
Synonyms of substandardnext
: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: such as
a
: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law
substandard housing
b
: conforming to a pattern of linguistic usage existing within a speech community but not that of the prestige group in that community
c
: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of substandard in a Sentence

a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
Recent Examples on the Web Housing instability takes many forms, including living in overcrowded, substandard situations. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024 When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads (AAR) directed Fortune to a May 2023 letter from the trade group accusing Amtrak of substandard performance on its Sunset Limited line that runs from New Orleans and Los Angeles. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 19 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for substandard 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substandard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of substandard was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near substandard

substance P

substandard

substantiable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 31 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

substandard

adjective
sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce substandard (audio)
ˈsəb-
1
: varying from or falling short of a standard or norm
substandard housing
2
: following a pattern of linguistic usage that is not considered standard
substandard English

Legal Definition

substandard

adjective
sub·​stan·​dard
: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: as
a
: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law
b
: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer

More from Merriam-Webster on substandard

Nglish: Translation of substandard for Spanish Speakers

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