Meaning & use
meeting standards
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
reaching the level of quality, safety, or rules that is required or expected
Grammar: Used after a linking verb such as 'be' or 'keep': The food is meeting standards. It does not take an object by itself.
Patterns
- be meeting standards
- keep meeting standards
- stop meeting standards
The new factory is meeting standards for clean air and water.
After the repairs, the bridge was meeting standards again.
Some schools are not meeting standards in mathematics this year.
phrasefixed phrase
satisfying the expectations or requirements set by a person or group
Grammar: Often followed by 'of' or 'for' to name the person or group: meeting the standards of the client.
Patterns
- meeting the standards of someone
- meeting standards for something
- meeting high standards
Her work is meeting the standards of the review committee.
The hotel is meeting standards for cleanliness and service.
He struggled with meeting the standards set by his coach.
Common combinations
- meeting high standards
- The restaurant is meeting high standards for food and service.
- meeting safety standards
- All toys must be meeting safety standards before they are sold.
- meeting the standards of
- The report is meeting the standards of the industry.
- meeting standards for
- The water is meeting standards for drinking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- meeting requirements
- This focuses on official rules or conditions, while 'meeting standards' focuses on a level of quality or expected norm.
- up to standard
- This is an adjective phrase meaning good enough; 'meeting standards' is a verb phrase describing the act of reaching that level.
- complying with
- This means obeying a rule or law; 'meeting standards' is broader and can refer to quality, not just rules.
Opposites
Word family
- standard noun
- a level of quality or a rule that people expect
- standardize verb
- to make things the same or follow one standard
Commonly confused: meeting standards or meeting the standard?
meeting standards vs meeting the standard
'Meeting the standard' refers to one specific standard, while 'meeting standards' refers to a set of standards or general expectations.
Practice
The new employee is still learning, but she is _____ standards for her role.
Choose one answer.
After 'is', we need the -ing form to make the present continuous: 'is meeting standards'. 'Meet' and 'meets' are simple present forms and do not fit after 'is'. 'Met' is past and would need 'has' or 'had'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “meeting standards”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.