standing

standing — noun

1. the level of respect and recognition that a person, organisation, or institution

1.nounB2
Definition

the level of respect and recognition that a person, organisation, or institution has among others, especially within a particular profession, community, or social system

Example

Professor Arjun Patel's standing in the chemistry department earned him a national research award.

standing in [field/department]

Putri's standing among her colleagues grew after she led the project to success.

standing among [group]

Common collocations
  • high standing
  • low standing
  • moral standing
  • financial standing
  • social standing
  • professional standing
  • standing in the community
  • standing among peers
Synonyms
  • status

    broader term; covers legal and social position without necessarily implying respect

  • reputation

    focuses on what others believe about character or quality, which may be positive or negative

  • prestige

    specifically implies high standing gained through excellence or achievement

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

standing + in + [field/community]

standing + among + [group]

standing + with + [people]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, company, or institution. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'financial', 'social', 'professional', 'moral', or 'political'.

Common Mistakes

She has a good standing in the company.
She is in good standing with the company.
'in good standing' is a fixed phrase meaning approved and meeting requirements.

2. the length of time that someone or something has existed, held a position, or ac

2.nounB2
Definition

the length of time that someone or something has existed, held a position, or accumulated experience in a particular role or activity

Example

Omar, a club member of ten years' standing, was asked to join the board.

of [number] years' standing

A lawyer of twenty years' standing, Christopher handles complex cases with confidence.

collocation: of ... years' standing

Common collocations
  • of long standing
  • of ten years' standing
  • of equal standing
Synonyms
  • tenure

    specifically refers to the period someone holds a position or job

  • duration

    neutral term for length of time, without implying membership or experience

Grammar Patterns

of + [number] + years'/months' + standing

of long standing

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the pattern 'of [number] years'/months'/days' standing'. The expression 'of long standing' is a fixed phrase meaning 'for a long time'.

Common Mistakes

She has long standing in the company.
She is a member of long standing.
The 'of' preposition is required; 'long standing' alone is ungrammatical as a noun phrase.

3. the right to bring a case to court or participate in a legal proceeding, based o

3.nounC1
Definition

the right to bring a case to court or participate in a legal proceeding, based on having a direct personal interest that would be affected by the outcome

Example

The court ruled that the neighbourhood group had standing to challenge the new building plans.

have standing to [verb]

Without sufficient legal standing, the case cannot be heard in federal court.

Common collocations
  • legal standing
  • have standing
  • lack standing
  • deny standing
  • grant standing
  • standing to sue
Synonyms
  • locus standi

    Latin legal term used in formal legal writing, synonymous with standing

Grammar Patterns

have + standing + to + verb

deny + standing

lack + standing

Usage Note

Domain-specific to law. Frequently appears with verbs 'have', 'lack', 'deny', 'grant', or 'claim'. The legal test for standing varies by jurisdiction.

Common Mistakes

The lawyer had a standing to sue.
The lawyer had standing to sue.
'Standing' in this legal sense is uncountable and takes no article.

4. a table or list that shows where each competitor, player, or team is placed in a

4.nounB2
Definition

a table or list that shows where each competitor, player, or team is placed in a competition, sorted by their scores or achievements

Example

After three wins, the team moved to the top of the league standing.

Beatrix checked the championship standing to see if she had qualified for the national finals.

check / improve standing

Common collocations
  • league standing
  • world standing
  • championship standing
  • improve standing
  • drop in standing
  • top of the standings
Synonyms
  • rank

    refers to one specific position number, e.g. 'rank 3'

  • position

    more general; does not imply a competitive ranking system

  • placement

    focuses on the result of being placed in a particular spot

Grammar Patterns

the + standings

standing + in + [competition]

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form 'standings' to refer to the entire league table. 'Standing' in the singular refers to one competitor's position within that table.

Idioms

standing ovation

idiom

a show of strong approval in which an audience rises from their seats and claps after a performance or speech

The singer received a standing ovation from the crowd after her final song.

standing joke

idiom

something that a group of people regularly finds amusing or makes jokes about

Uncle Mert's terrible cooking became a standing joke among the whole family.

standing — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to how a person or organisation is seen by others, but they differ in what they highlight. 'Standing' emphasises the accumulated respect and rank within a specific system or community, often built through time and conduct ('professional standing', 'financial standing'). 'Status' is broader and more neutral — it can refer to legal, social, or economic position without necessarily implying good or bad ('marital status', 'legal status', 'low social status'). 'Reputation' focuses on what people collectively believe about someone's character or quality, and it can be positive or negative ('a reputation for honesty', 'a damaged reputation'). 'Prestige' is always positive and refers to high status earned through excellence, achievement, or association with something admired ('the prestige of a Nobel Prize'). Choose 'standing' when you mean earned position within a community; choose 'reputation' when referring to the general opinion people hold.

standing ↗status ↗reputation ↗prestige ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • of ... standing
  • of long standing
  • in good standing
  • league standing
  • world standing

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'standing' comes from the Old English verb 'standan' (to stand, to remain upright) combined with the suffix '-ing', which forms nouns and adjectives from verbs. The noun form emerged in Middle English around the 1300s, first meaning 'the act of standing' and later developing figurative senses such as 'position', 'duration', and 'rank' by the 1500s. The adjective use meaning 'permanent, established' also appeared in the 1500s, while the legal sense of 'standing to sue' became established in English law during the 1700s.