standard
standard
/ˈstændəd/
level of quality
There has been a fall in living standards.
safety/quality standards
Who sets the standard for water quality?
A number of Britain's beaches fail to meet European standards on cleanliness.
to improve/raise standards
He failed to reach the minimum standard and did not qualify.
We aim to maintain high standards of customer care.
The standard of this year's applications is very low.
below (the) standard The quality of the image was below the standard I had hoped for.
to a… standard The work was done to a professional standard.
Her work is not up to standard (= of a good enough standard).
Collocations
adjective
verb + standard
preposition
above (the) standard
below (the) standard
according to a/the standard…
phrases
by any standard
by the standards of the day
a drop in the standard
2 countable, usually plural a level of quality that is normal or acceptable for a particular person or in a particular situation You'd better lower your standards if you want to find somewhere cheap to live.
by… standards It was a simple meal by Eddie's standards.
The equipment is slow and heavy by modern standards.
below… standards His latest film is well below his usual standards.
level of behaviour
3 standards plural a level of behaviour that somebody considers to be morally acceptable a man of high moral standards
Some people have no standards.
The government must uphold basic standards of decency.
My grandparents are always complaining about falling standards.
the advertising standards watchdog
Collocations
adjective
verb + standard
standard + verb
phrases
standards of behaviour/behavior
standards of conduct
standard of care…
unit of measurement
4 countable a unit of measurement that is officially used; an official rule used when producing something a reduction in the weight standard of silver coins
industry standards
flag
5 countable a flag that is used during official ceremonies, especially one connected with a particular military group the royal standard
song
6 countable a song that has been recorded by many different singers standard
/ˈstændəd/
average/normal
1 average or normal rather than having special or unusual features
the standard rate of tax (= paid by everyone)
It is standard practice to search visitors as they enter the building.
DNA was extracted by a standard procedure.
Touch screens are now a standard feature on most devices.
A standard letter was sent to all candidates.
The format of the show is fairly standard.
as standard Front airbags come as standard on all models.
Collocations
verbs
adverb
size/measurement
2 following a particular standard set, for example, by an industry
standard sizes of clothes
Washing machines have standard measurements to fit under kitchen units.
The stations were built to a simple, almost standard design.
Our charges are standard throughout the country.
book/writer
the author of the standard textbook on the topic
language
4 usually before noun (of spelling, pronunciation, grammar, etc.) believed to be correct and used by most people Standard English
Word Origin
Middle English (denoting a flag raised on a pole as a rallying point, the authorized exemplar of a unit of measurement, or an upright timber): shortening of Old French estendart, from estendre ‘extend’; in sense (5), influenced by the verb stand.