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Meaning & use

standard time

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈstændəd ˌtaɪm/
US/ˈstændɚd ˌtaɪm/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The official clock time of a region or time zone, set by its position around the world.

    Grammar: Often used with a zone name: Eastern Standard Time.

    Patterns

    • Eastern Standard Time
    • standard time zone

    The meeting is at noon Pacific Standard Time.

    Each country decides which standard time it will use.

    Our flight lands at 6 p.m. local standard time.

  2. noununcountableAmerican

    The time kept in a region during the part of the year when clocks are not moved forward for daylight saving.

    Grammar: Contrasts with daylight saving time: clocks go back to standard time in autumn.

    Patterns

    • return to standard time
    • switch to standard time

    Clocks return to standard time in November.

    We switched to standard time last weekend and now it gets dark earlier.

    In winter, most of the country is on standard time.

Common combinations

Eastern Standard Time
The broadcast starts at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
switch to standard time
States switch to standard time in the autumn.
return to standard time
We return to standard time on Sunday.
local standard time
The sun rises at 7 a.m. local standard time.
standard time zone
The city lies in the central standard time zone.

Synonyms and how they differ

local time
Local time is simply the time where you are, which might be daylight saving time, whereas standard time excludes the summer shift.
winter time
Winter time is the informal British phrase for the clocks being set back, much like standard time in the US.
zone time
Zone time is a technical term for the time of a time zone and is used mostly in navigation.

Opposites

daylight saving time

Word family

time zone noun
a region that keeps the same official time
standardize verb
to make things the same
daylight saving time noun
summer time, when clocks are moved forward

Commonly confused: standard time or daylight saving time?

standard time vs daylight saving time

Daylight saving time moves clocks forward in summer; standard time is the normal setting for the zone.

Practice

In the United States, clocks go back to ___ in November.

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