substandard
adjective
sub·stan·dard
ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd 
: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: such 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
Examples of substandard in a Sentence
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
Recent Examples on the Web
It was created to address urban problems, including substandard and deteriorating housing, and to coordinate federal housing and urban development policies more effectively.
—
Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Last year, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate reported prosecuting 21,404 individuals for producing and selling counterfeit and substandard goods.
—Haicen Yang, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Her relatives describe substandard education and health care there, as well as a generally poor quality of life.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Homeless people frequently complain about substandard living conditions at shelters, which can be understaffed and sometimes struggle to accommodate residents with mental health and addiction issues.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
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Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Last year, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate reported prosecuting 21,404 individuals for producing and selling counterfeit and substandard goods.
—Haicen Yang, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Her relatives describe substandard education and health care there, as well as a generally poor quality of life.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Homeless people frequently complain about substandard living conditions at shelters, which can be understaffed and sometimes struggle to accommodate residents with mental health and addiction issues.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
substandard
adjective
sub·stan·dard
ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd
ˈsəb-
1
: varying from or falling short of a standard or norm
substandard housing
2
: following a pattern of linguistic usage that is not considered standard
substandard English
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