meet standards

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   to be good enough to satisfy a required level of quality or rules

   Grammar: Used as an intransitive phrase; often followed by 'for' or 'in' to name the area: meet standards for safety.

   Patterns

   • meet standards
   • meet standards for something
   • meet standards in something

   The new factory must meet standards for clean air and water.

   Her work consistently meets standards, so she was promoted.

   These toys do not meet standards for young children.

2. 2phraseidiom

   to reach a level of quality that people expect or accept

   Grammar: Often used with a modifier like 'high' or 'professional' before 'standards'.

   Patterns

   • meet high standards
   • meet professional standards
   • meet someone's standards

   The restaurant meets high standards of cleanliness.

   He failed to meet the standards set by his boss.

   Our team meets the standards expected in this industry.

Common combinations

meet safety standards

All electrical goods must meet safety standards before they are sold.

meet quality standards

The supplier did not meet quality standards, so we changed companies.

meet industry standards

Their software meets industry standards for data protection.

fail to meet standards

The school failed to meet standards in mathematics.

Synonyms and how they differ

comply with

Comply with is more formal and focuses on following rules or laws, while meet standards focuses on reaching a required level.

satisfy

Satisfy is often used with requirements or conditions; it can sound slightly more formal than meet standards.

conform to

Conform to suggests following an established pattern or norm, often with less emphasis on quality.

Opposites

Commonly confused: meet standards or meet with standards?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “meet standards”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words