standard

Usual or normally used, rather than unusual or specially chosen.

• Breakfast is included in the standard price.
• Checking identification is standard procedure here.
• All these cars come with standard equipment.

Similar words: usual, normal, ordinary, regular

Opposites: unusual

Common phrases: standard practice, standard procedure, standard equipment, a standard room

Matching an accepted size, amount, quality, or other agreed measure.

• The shelf fits standard bottles.
• These doors are all a standard width.
• Check that the machine uses standard voltage.

Similar words: standardized, regulation

Opposites: nonstandard

Common phrases: standard size, standard dimensions, standard weight, standard voltage

Widely respected and accepted as a reliable source or an excellent example.

• This is a standard reference work.
• Her book became the standard text on the subject.
• Students still consult these standard works of history.

How to use it: a standard work on something (This remains a standard work on medieval history.)

Similar words: authoritative, definitive

Common phrases: a standard work, standard reference work, a standard textbook

A level of quality or success that people expect, require, or achieve.

• The food meets a high standard.
• Her work fell below the required standard.
• We are trying to raise standards in every school.

How to use it: standard of something (The school maintains a high standard of teaching.); meet a standard (The work must meet our safety standard.)

Similar words: level, quality

Common phrases: a high standard, meet a standard, minimum standard, standard of living

Something accepted as a model or measure against which other things are compared.

• We used this sample as our standard.
• The method became the gold standard for testing.
• Each instrument was checked against a reference standard.

How to use it: a standard against which something is judged (Her work is the standard against which other designs are judged.); a standard for something (The sample provides a standard for comparing colours.)

Similar words: benchmark, yardstick, model

Common phrases: gold standard, reference standard, international standard, standard for comparison

A flag carried by soldiers or used in an official ceremony.

• A soldier carried the standard.
• The royal standard flew above the palace.
• The regiment's old standards hang in the hall.

Similar words: flag, banner, ensign

Common phrases: royal standard, regimental standard, carry the standard, raise the standard