SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
substandard
adjective
Below the required or generally accepted level of quality.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Below the required level
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSubstandard compares quality with an expected norm. Defective identifies a fault; inadequate may concern insufficient quantity or suitability.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See substandard in use
The supplier agreed to replace the substandard materials.
A substandard exhibition catalog arrives with unreadable captions and missing pages, falling below the readable and complete version the team agreed to produce.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license