adj.
Pronunciation: ˌ s ə b- ' stan-d ə rd
Function: adjective
Date: 1897
: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: 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