par

IPA/pɑː(r)/
KK[pˈɑr]IPA/pɑːr/

par — noun

1. an even footing between two people or things, where each is rated as matching th

1.nounC1
Definition

an even footing between two people or things, where each is rated as matching the other in quality, importance, or value.

Example

Maya argues that her novel sits on a par with the prize-winning entries.

on a par with + noun phrase

In Carlos's view, no other guitarist is on a par with his late teacher.

Common collocations
  • on a par with
  • roughly on a par with
  • broadly on a par with
Synonyms
  • equal

    more general; works as adjective or noun outside this frame

  • equivalent

    stresses matching value or function rather than overall quality

  • level

    informal: 'on a level with' carries the same meaning

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

on a par with + noun

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed frame 'on a par with [X]'; standalone use is rare. Subject and object should be comparable in kind (book to book, city to city).

Common Mistakes

Her cooking is on par to my mother's.
Her cooking is on a par with my mother's.
the fixed frame is 'on a par with', not 'on par to'.

2. the level of quality, performance, or health that you would normally expect — us

2.nounC1
Definition

the level of quality, performance, or health that you would normally expect — used mainly in phrases like 'below par' (worse than usual) or 'up to par' (good enough).

Example

Lina has been feeling below par since she caught the flu last week.

below par = worse than usual, often about health

The hotel's breakfast is just not up to par for the price we paid.

up to par = good enough

Common collocations
  • below par
  • up to par
  • above par
  • feel below par
  • not up to par
Synonyms
  • standard

    more neutral; works as a bare noun without fixed frames

  • norm

    stresses the typical or average level

  • average

    everyday word; works as adjective or noun

Grammar Patterns

below par

up to par

above par

Usage Note

Rarely used as a bare noun; almost always inside 'below par', 'up to par', or 'above par'. Distinguish from sense 1 (which compares two specific things) — this sense compares one thing to a generic norm.

Common Mistakes

My energy is in par today.
My energy is below par today.
'in par' is not standard; use 'below/up to/above par'.

3. in golf, the number of strokes a skilled player is expected to need to finish on

3.nounB2
Definition

in golf, the number of strokes a skilled player is expected to need to finish one hole or the whole course; scoring fewer strokes than this number counts as good play.

Example

Marcus finished the eighteenth hole one stroke under par.

under par = better than expected in golf

Par for this short hole at Pebble Beach is just three.

par for + hole/course

Common collocations
  • under par
  • over par
  • even par
  • shoot par
  • level par
Synonyms
  • scratch

    informal golf term for a player who shoots par

  • bogey

    slightly different: one stroke over par on a hole

Grammar Patterns

par for the hole/course

under par

over par

Usage Note

Domain-specific to golf. Numbers above the figure are 'over par' (worse), numbers below are 'under par' (better) — opposite of what 'below par' means in sense 2, so context matters.

Common Mistakes

She played below par and won the tournament.' (if you mean she played well in golf)
She played under par and won the tournament.
in golf, 'under par' is good; 'below par' (sense 2) means poor performance.

4. the price printed on a share, bond, or banknote when it is first issued, used as

4.nounC2
Definition

the price printed on a share, bond, or banknote when it is first issued, used as a fixed reference point against which the market price later rises or falls.

Example

The bonds were issued at par and now trade slightly above par.

at par / above par in finance

After the bad earnings report, the shares fell below par for the first time.

Common collocations
  • at par
  • above par
  • below par
  • par value
  • issued at par
Synonyms
  • face value

    everyday equivalent; same meaning, less technical

  • nominal value

    formal accounting term for the printed amount

Grammar Patterns

at par

above par

below par

Usage Note

Strictly a finance term. Subject is usually a stock, bond, or note. Often appears as the compound 'par value'. Don't confuse with sense 2's 'below par', which is about general standards, not money.

Common Mistakes

The bond's par went up after good earnings.
The bond's market price went up; its par stays fixed.
par is the fixed issue value; only the market price moves.
Idioms

below/under par

idiom

Not as good or healthy as usual or expected.

After the long flight, Maya felt below par and skipped dinner.

Is your team's performance under par this season?

be par for the course

idiom

To be exactly what you expect in a given situation.

Long meetings are par for the course at this company.

For a beginner, making mistakes is par for the course.

on a par/level with somebody/something

idiom

At the same level of quality, importance, or ability as someone or something else.

His cooking skills are on a par with professional chefs.

Is this hotel on a level with the one we stayed at last year?

up to par

idiom

As good as the usual standard or as it should be.

Diego's latest essay was not up to par, so he rewrote it.

Is the quality of these products up to par?

par — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five words point to a level of quality used as a reference point, but they differ in scope and register. 'Par' is narrowest: in everyday English it lives almost only inside fixed phrases like 'below par' and 'up to par', and it carries a sense of expected normal condition rather than an explicit measurement. 'Standard' is the most flexible bare noun — you can speak of high standards, set standards, or fall below standards in any field. 'Norm' is statistical and slightly formal: it names what is typical across a group, as in social norms or growth norms. 'Average' is the most neutral and arithmetic — it stresses the middle of a range. 'Benchmark' is the most active: a fixed reference deliberately chosen for comparison, common in business and testing. So you might say 'Marcus felt below par today' (general well-being), 'her work meets our standards' (quality rule), or 'the new model sets a benchmark for the industry' (deliberate reference).

par ↗standard ↗norm ↗average ↗benchmark ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Par comes straight from Latin 'par', meaning 'equal' — the same root that gives English 'parity' and 'compare'. It entered English in the late 1500s as a noun meaning equality or equal standing, used in phrases like 'on a par'. The finance sense, naming the original issue price of a share or bond, developed in the 1600s. The golf sense is much later, appearing in late-1800s British golf clubs to name the score a strong player should make on each hole, and quickly spread worldwide with the sport.