standard time
noun
: the time of a region or country that is established by law or general usage as civil time (see civil sense 5)
… the advent of the railway system and its demand for accurate timetables created the need for standard time and GMT became the legal standard time of Britain in 1880.—
John Sallnow
John Sallnow
specifically
: the mean time of a meridian that is a multiple of 15 arbitrarily applied to a local area or to one of the 24 time zones and designated as a number of hours earlier or later than Greenwich Mean Time
At a little after nine Central Standard Time on the night of Monday, April 13, 1970 there was, high in the western sky, a tiny flare of light that in some respects resembled a star exploding far away in our galaxy. —Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr. Examples of standard time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those who oppose permanent daylight saving time cite health and safety concerns, often arguing that maintaining standard time year-round would be preferrable.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
The law also established a standard time and allowed the federal government to create five time zones.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In recent years, multiple bills have been introduced to enact permanent daylight saving time (though health experts say permanent standard time is vastly better for us).
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 15 Feb. 2025
Only Hawaii and Arizona (most of it) observe standard time for the whole year, as do the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.
—Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 19 July 2025
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Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
The law also established a standard time and allowed the federal government to create five time zones.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In recent years, multiple bills have been introduced to enact permanent daylight saving time (though health experts say permanent standard time is vastly better for us).
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 15 Feb. 2025
Only Hawaii and Arizona (most of it) observe standard time for the whole year, as do the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.
—Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for standard time
Cite this Entry
“Standard time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard%20time. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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