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
Synonyms
Examples of substandard in a Sentence
a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation
Recent Examples on the Web
Renters in Detroit have long raised concerns about substandard living conditions and evictions, and pushed for accountability from landlords.
—
Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 8 May 2024
For the first time, however, a lawsuit has alleged substandard living conditions and shoddy upkeep in the western tower of the residential complex.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
The prosecutors have accused the contractors who built Renaissance of failing to follow the building codes in place at the time, using substandard materials and neglecting to ensure that the structure was sound.
—Ben Hubbard, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Former Mayor Williams says many children are bitten by rats, and the problem is worse where residents live in substandard housing and are preoccupied with more pressing challenges than trash containment.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
But the substandard showing is only half of Arizona’s problem.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024
Coleman was a beloved community figure known for reviving the Juneteenth celebration in Phoenix, helping establish the St. Mary's Food Bank, and leading a rent strike at the Matthew Henson Housing Project to improve substandard living conditions for tenants during the 1960s.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
That vague description meant some students took substandard classes that didn’t count toward graduation.
—Erin Einhorn, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024
The department struggles to contact out-of-state owners to address substandard living conditions, according to a department official during a Senate committee hearing.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024
Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 8 May 2024
For the first time, however, a lawsuit has alleged substandard living conditions and shoddy upkeep in the western tower of the residential complex.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
The prosecutors have accused the contractors who built Renaissance of failing to follow the building codes in place at the time, using substandard materials and neglecting to ensure that the structure was sound.
—Ben Hubbard, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Former Mayor Williams says many children are bitten by rats, and the problem is worse where residents live in substandard housing and are preoccupied with more pressing challenges than trash containment.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
But the substandard showing is only half of Arizona’s problem.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024
Coleman was a beloved community figure known for reviving the Juneteenth celebration in Phoenix, helping establish the St. Mary's Food Bank, and leading a rent strike at the Matthew Henson Housing Project to improve substandard living conditions for tenants during the 1960s.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
That vague description meant some students took substandard classes that didn’t count toward graduation.
—Erin Einhorn, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024
The department struggles to contact out-of-state owners to address substandard living conditions, according to a department official during a Senate committee hearing.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substandard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near substandard
Cite this Entry
“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substandard. Accessed 12 May. 2024.
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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