I. stan ‧ dard 1 S2 W2 /ˈstændəd $ -ərd/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ standard , ↑ standardization ; adjective : stardard, ↑ substandard ; verb : ↑ standardize ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: estandard 'battle-flag' ]
1 . LEVEL OF QUALITY/ACHIEVEMENT [uncountable and countable] the level that is considered to be acceptable, or the level that someone or something has achieved:
Students have to reach a certain standard or they won’t pass.
The airline has rigorous safety standards.
standard of
The committee is assessing the standard of care in local hospitals.
2 . MORAL PRINCIPLES standards [plural] moral principles about what kind of behaviour or attitudes are acceptable:
the recent decline in moral standards
standards fall/slip/go down
Standards have slipped since I was a boy.
3 . MEASUREMENT [countable] a fixed official rule for measuring weight, ↑ purity , value etc:
an official government standard for the purity of silver
4 . SONG [countable] a popular song that has been sung by many different singers:
popular jazz standards
5 . FLAG [countable] old-fashioned a flag used in ceremonies:
the royal standard
⇨ ↑ double standard , ↑ living standard
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ meet/reach a standard
Many food businesses fail to meet basic standards of hygiene.
▪ set/lay down a standard
The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach.
▪ raise/improve standards
We are determined to raise standards in our schools.
▪ lower standards
He refused to lower his standards.
▪ maintain standards (=keep them at a good level)
Television companies should maintain standards of taste and decency.
▪ standards improve
The standard of this festival improves every year.
▪ standards fall/slip/decline
School inspectors say that educational standards have fallen.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + standard
▪ high/good
The standard of their work was generally very high.
▪ low/poor
The report says the standard of children’s diet in Britain is poor.
▪ acceptable
All too often their behaviour has fallen below acceptable standards.
▪ stringent/strict/rigorous/tough standards (=high standards that are difficult to reach)
The Marines’ rigorous standards mean that only a small proportion of applicants are successful.
▪ international standards
Clearly there is a need for international standards to be laid down to govern food safety.
▪ safety/hygiene/quality etc standards
All our products meet the current safety standards.
▪ academic/educational standards
There had been a policy of raising academic standards within the school.
▪ environmental standards (=to protect the environment)
They called on the Indian government to apply stricter environmental standards.
▪ professional standards (=within a particular profession)
The institutions have an evident interest in maintaining professional standards.
▪ living standards ( also standard of living ) (=the level of comfort and the amount of money people have)
Living standards at all income levels improved over that period.
■ phrases
▪ an improvement/rise in standards
There has been an improvement in living standards.
▪ a decline/drop in standards
There has been a general decline in standards of literacy among undergraduates.
▪ be/come up to standard (=be good enough)
Her work was not up to standard.
▪ be below standard (=not be good enough)
His performance yesterday was below standard.
▪ by modern standards/today’s standards
The technology was crude by modern standards.
▪ by our standards (=judging by what we are used to)
The equipment was very old-fashioned by our standards.
▪ by British/African etc standards
Class sizes are small by British standards.
II. standard 2 S2 W2 BrE AmE adjective
1 . accepted as normal or usual:
We paid them the standard rate.
standard practice/procedure (=the usual way of doing things)
Searching luggage at airports is now standard practice.
The format is fairly standard.
2 . regular and usual in shape, size, quality etc OPP non-standard :
We make shoes in standard and wide sizes.
All these vans are made to a standard design.
3 . a standard book, work etc is read by everyone studying a particular subject
4 . the standard form of a language is the one considered to be correct and is used by most people OPP non-standard :
the standard spelling
standard English pronunciation
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ normal usual, typical, and as you would expect it to be:
Is this cold weather normal for the time of year?
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It had been another normal working day in the office.
▪ ordinary ( also regular especially American English ) not special, unusual, or different from normal:
They lived in an ordinary three-bedroomed house.
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It looks like an ordinary car, but it uses solar power.
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Would you like a regular salad or a Caesar salad?
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I just want an ordinary bicycle, not a mountain bike.
▪ average [only before noun] around the usual level or amount:
She is of average height.
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He is of above average intelligence.
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The average price of a pint of milk has gone up.
▪ standard normal – used about methods of doing something, or about the size, shape, features etc of products:
It’s standard practice to X-ray hand-baggage at most airports.
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We stock shoes in all the standard sizes.
▪ routine used about things that are done regularly as part of a series of things:
The fault was discovered during a routine check of the plane.
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routine tasks such as shopping and cooking
▪ everyday [only before noun] used about things that happen or that you use as part of normal life:
He painted scenes of everyday life in France.
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Sally was still dressed in her everyday clothes.
▪ common used about birds and plants that are of the most usual type, and in the phrase the common people (=people who are not rich and powerful) :
the common goldfish
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an alliance between the aristocracy and the common people
▪ conventional [only before noun] of the kind that is usually used – used when comparing this with a different or special type:
The engine is more efficient than a conventional diesel engine.
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the drugs used in conventional medicine
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conventional weapons (=not nuclear, chemical, or biological)
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conventional ovens and microwaves