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
In countries such as Suriname, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and other countries, the CCP has dug its financial claws into these economies, funneling billions of dollars into substandard infrastructure projects.
—
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
And then there’s the slight issue of CP’s paddle, which is widely known to be substandard in terms of today’s technology and is a big reason she’s fallen out of favor with ALW/is falling down the ranks in singles.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Concerns over substandard farmworker housing intensified after a 2023 mass shooting in Half Moon Bay drew attention to the unsafe and often overlooked living conditions of the region’s agricultural workforce.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
The provision for credit losses increased to $1.4 million from $246,000, reflecting growth in the loan portfolio and increased substandard loans.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
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Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
And then there’s the slight issue of CP’s paddle, which is widely known to be substandard in terms of today’s technology and is a big reason she’s fallen out of favor with ALW/is falling down the ranks in singles.
—Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Concerns over substandard farmworker housing intensified after a 2023 mass shooting in Half Moon Bay drew attention to the unsafe and often overlooked living conditions of the region’s agricultural workforce.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
The provision for credit losses increased to $1.4 million from $246,000, reflecting growth in the loan portfolio and increased substandard loans.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 14 Mar. 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 5 May. 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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