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
The administration temporarily halted migrant transfers to the base after media reports alleged substandard conditions and the ACLU and other organizations sued, alleging detainees had no access to attorneys, family or due process.
—
Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
During the 1980s and '90s, the U.S. government detained thousands of Haitian asylum seekers indefinitely at Guantánamo in substandard conditions.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
The qualifications of substandard housing shifted with the passing of Senate Bill 1465 in 2024.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
During the hearing, representatives of the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau and Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon testified about the allegedly substandard maintenance of Mount Tamalpais Cemetery.
—Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for substandard
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Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
During the 1980s and '90s, the U.S. government detained thousands of Haitian asylum seekers indefinitely at Guantánamo in substandard conditions.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
The qualifications of substandard housing shifted with the passing of Senate Bill 1465 in 2024.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
During the hearing, representatives of the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau and Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon testified about the allegedly substandard maintenance of Mount Tamalpais Cemetery.
—Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 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 Mar. 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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