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 rural America, patients are more likely to live in substandard housing, lack access to reliable transportation, and face chronic food insecurity.
—
Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
King’s House Bill 2453 would require the Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, and the Public Utility Commission to notify electric utilities when substandard power lines are found at well sites or at facilities used for oil and gas development or production.
—Jayme Lozano Carver, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Alexei Smirnov, former governor of Russia's Kursk region, was arrested Wednesday on charges of embezzling millions of rubles earmarked for anti-tank defenses that reportedly failed due to substandard construction.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Falsified or substandard medicines currently account for about 10% of drugs in low- and middle-income countries, the WHO estimates.
—Sally C. Pipes, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
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.
Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
King’s House Bill 2453 would require the Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, and the Public Utility Commission to notify electric utilities when substandard power lines are found at well sites or at facilities used for oil and gas development or production.
—Jayme Lozano Carver, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Alexei Smirnov, former governor of Russia's Kursk region, was arrested Wednesday on charges of embezzling millions of rubles earmarked for anti-tank defenses that reportedly failed due to substandard construction.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Falsified or substandard medicines currently account for about 10% of drugs in low- and middle-income countries, the WHO estimates.
—Sally C. Pipes, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 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 29 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share