standard 1 of 2

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as in criterion
something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared the animation in that movie set the standard against which all later animated cartoons were judged

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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3
as in normal
what is typical of a group, class, or series somewhat shorter than the standard for boys that age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in morality
standards plural the code of good conduct for an individual or group a life guided by high standards

Synonyms & Similar Words

standard

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun standard contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of standard are criterion, gauge, touchstone, and yardstick. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

In what contexts can criterion take the place of standard?

The meanings of criterion and standard largely overlap; however, criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

When can gauge be used instead of standard?

While the synonyms gauge and standard are close in meaning, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When could touchstone be used to replace standard?

While in some cases nearly identical to standard, touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

How are the words yardstick and criterion related as synonyms of standard?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of standard
Noun
The 25-46-11 season ended with two straight wins and a standings point in five of the last six games — what constitutes as a high note by Hawks standards in recent seasons. Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025 In an economic downturn, the costs associated with our current standard of going out may become just too high for some. Myisha Battle, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Nothing in the church canons requires it, but the standard practice is for archbishops to be elevated to the College of Cardinals. Randall Balmer, Time, 21 Apr. 2025 In Birmingham, where Southern Living is based, not every Dollar General has the butter, but many have both two-stick packs and the standard four-stick packages in stock, as well as both unsalted and salted varieties. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for standard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standard
Noun
  • The first list, developed in 2023, began with 2,000 U.S.-based companies that fit the overall criteria of having more than $50 million in revenue and reporting their carbon emissions independently.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Advocates have been pushing the state to put in place some criteria or mandates around the review panels.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Later, when the university sent a letter revoking its sponsorship of Mecha, the club’s members staged a protest at one of the school’s cultural centers, reportedly waving a Palestinian flag and refusing to leave.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The visiting president released a nearly 2-minute video chronicling his arrival that included shots of the two countries’ flags, U.S. military color guard, and of course, Bukele himself, exiting his plane and into a black SUV, dressed in all black and dark sunglasses.
    David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The movie’s over-all arc is a common one: from the unquestioned routines of daily life to the strange new normal of risks and precautions, fears and constraints, illness and deaths; from there to an eventual sense of wary relief.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The bottom line is that nearly four years into this new normal in college football, NFL teams are still trying to master a transfer landscape that isn’t going away.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Approval from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, much like the morality police, requires artists to master abstraction, ensuring their work remains powerful yet permissible.
    Rebecca Ruth Gould, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
  • An anti-Disney morality tale seeks modern morality.
    Armond White, National Review, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, the fires in New Jersey this week have been part of trend: So far in 2025, New Jersey has experienced nearly twice as many wildfires as usual.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Rosemary Oil Shampoo Add a few drops of rosemary oil to your shampoo and wash your hair as usual.
    Carley Millhone, Health, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Some might offer better support than others or have a more natural resting spot for thumbs, but to greater or lesser extents, a good mouse is sculpted to fit the arch of the typical human hand.
    Matt Kamen, Wired News, 20 Apr. 2025
  • In a typical spring, apply the herbicide in early to mid-April.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Until Black Panther’s record breaking $235 million opening, conventional industry wisdom held that films with predominantly Black casts typically underperform financially overseas.
    Chris Lee, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The conventional non-AI approach is the classic client-therapist relationship.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But looking at the right benchmarks shows that post-neoliberal economic policy—evident to a large degree in the actions of the Biden administration—righted the ship and kept the country afloat and sailing at a reasonable clip.
    Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, stood at about $63 per barrel as of midday Monday.
    Wyatte Grantham-Philips and Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standard. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

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