STANDARD


Meaning of STANDARD in English

/ ˈstændəd; NAmE -dərd/ noun , adjective

■ noun

LEVEL OF QUALITY

1.

[ C , U ] standard (of sth) a level of quality, especially one that people think is acceptable :

a fall in academic standards

We aim to maintain high standards of customer care.

The standard of this year's applications is very low.

He failed to reach the required standard , and did not qualify for the race.

Her work is not up to standard (= of a good enough standard) .

Who sets the standard for water quality?

A number of Britain's beaches fail to meet European standards on cleanliness.

In the shanty towns there are very poor living standards .

—see also standard of living , substandard

2.

[ C , usually pl. ] 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.

It was a simple meal by Eddie's standards.

The equipment is slow and heavy by modern standards .

LEVEL OF BEHAVIOUR

3.

standards [ pl. ] a level of behaviour that sb considers to be morally acceptable :

a man of high moral standards

Standards aren't what they used to be.

—see also double standard

UNIT OF MEASUREMENT

4.

[ C ] a unit of measurement that is officially used; an official rule used when producing sth :

a reduction in the weight standard of silver coins

industry standards

—see also gold standard

FLAG

5.

[ C ] a flag that is used during official ceremonies, especially one connected with a particular military group

SONG

6.

[ C ] a song that has been recorded by many different singers

■ adjective

AVERAGE / NORMAL

1.

average or normal rather than having special or unusual features :

A standard letter was sent to all candidates.

Televisions are a standard feature in most hotel rooms.

the standard rate of tax (= paid by everyone)

It is standard practice to search visitors as they enter the building.

All vehicles come with a CD player as standard .

SIZE / MEASUREMENT

2.

[ usually before noun ] following a particular standard set, for example, by an industry :

standard sizes of clothes

BOOK / WRITER

3.

[ only before noun ] read by most people who are studying a particular subject

LANGUAGE

4.

[ usually before noun ] ( of spelling, pronunciation, grammar. etc. ) believed to be correct and used by most people :

Standard English

—compare non-standard , substandard

••

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 .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.