(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a level of quality or achievement, especially a level that is thought to be acceptable.
The ~ of professional cricket has never been lower...
There will be new national ~s for hospital cleanliness.
N-COUNT: with supp
2.
A ~ is something that you use in order to judge the quality of something else.
...systems that were by later ~s absurdly primitive.
N-COUNT: with supp
3.
Standards are moral principles which affect people’s attitudes and behaviour.
My father has always had high moral ~s.
N-PLURAL: usu with supp
see also double ~
4.
You use ~ to describe things which are usual and normal.
It was ~ practice for untrained clerks to advise in serious cases such as murder...
ADJ: usu ADJ n
5.
A ~ work or text on a particular subject is one that is widely read and often recommended.
ADJ: ADJ n