standard

1 noun

1 LEVEL OF QUALITY (countable often plural, uncountable) a level of quality, skill, ability or achievement by which someone or something is judged, that is considered to be necessary or acceptable in a particular situation: The airline has rigorous safety standards.

(+ of): Inspections are meant to ensure the standard of teaching is acceptable. | (of a) high/low standard: Our students achieve very high standards of musical ability. | Articles of a low standard will not be accepted. | set a standard (=decide what people are expected to do): The International Atomic Energy Agency sets standards for the industry. | meet/reach/attain a standard: They have to reach a certain standard or they won't pass. | to standard (=well enough): completing work to standard and on time | maintain standards (=keep them the way they are): After his early success, Cameron was unable to maintain such high standards. | above/below standard (=better than usual, or not good enough): The accommodation here is really below standard. | up to standard (=good enough): Your recent work just hasn't been up to standard. | raise/lower a standard: We're not about to lower our standards just to make a cheaper product. | let standards fall/drop/slip (=allow them to get worse): On no account must we let standards slip.

2 COMPARING (countable usually plural) the ideas of what is good or normal that someone uses to compare one thing with another: by sb's standards: They were all pretty excitable by our quiet English standards. | by any standard(s) (=by anyone's opinion or values): It's a deprived area by any standard.

3 MORAL RULE (countable usually plural) rules for behaviour based on an idea of what is morally good and right: Nobody could live up to his standards.

4 MEASUREMENT (C) a fixed official rule for measuring weight, purity, value etc: an official government standard for the purity of silver

5 SONG (C) a popular song that has been sung by many different singers

6 FLAG (C) a flag used in ceremonies: the royal standard

7 MILITARY POLE (C) a pole with a picture or shape at the top carried in the past at the front of an army

—see also: double standard, living standard 2 adjective

1 accepted as normal or usual: We paid them the standard rate for the job. | standard practice/procedure (=the usual way of doing things): Searching luggage at airports is now standard practice.

2 regular and usual in shape, size, quality etc: We make shoes in standard and wide sizes. | All these vans are made to a standard design.

3 a standard book, work, author etc is read by everyone studying a particular subject

4 standard English/spelling/pronunciation etc BrE the form of English, spelling, pronunciation etc that most people in Britain use, and that is not limited to one area or group of people

—see also: non­standard, substandard