substandard

[suhb-stan-derd]

adjective

1. below standard or less than adequate.

   substandard housing conditions.

2. noting or pertaining to a dialect or variety of a language or a feature of usage that is often considered by others to mark its user as uneducated; nonstandard.

3. Insurance.

   1. not measuring up to an insurer's regular standards in undertaking risks.

      a substandard risk.

   2. pertaining to insurance written to cover substandard risks.

substandard

/ sʌbˈstændəd /

adjective

1. below an established or required standard

2. another word for nonstandard

Word History and Origins

Origin of substandard¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; sub- + standard

Example Sentences

The government said it is ''working at speed to ensure substandard installations are identified and remediated with no cost to the consumer'.'

From BBC

Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said the collapse was the result of multiple failures including the use of substandard materials, structural cracks, and visible gaps.

From BBC

They are later transferred to "holding camps" - rented rooms where as many as 40 people are forced to live in substandard conditions.

From BBC

In 2011, she had complained to regulators about substandard parts being deliberately removed from quarantine bins and fitted to aircraft, in an attempt to keep the production line moving.

From BBC

But competence is crucial in this dangerous job, and substandard work can mean deadly accidents.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cheap 
• inadequate 
• lousy 
• shoddy