Standing

How to spell standing

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce standing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does standing mean?

1. nounA person's or organisation's position, rank, or reputation within a group.
2. adjectivePermanent or remaining in force, rather than created for a single occasion.
3. adjectiveIn an upright position, on one's feet rather than seated.

Standing in a sentence

• noun

  The firm enjoys a high standing among its competitors.

• adjective

  She set up a standing order to pay the rent each month.

• adjective

  There was only standing room left on the crowded train.

• noun

  Only members in good standing may vote at the meeting.

• adjective

  The committee has a standing invitation to use the hall.

• adjective

  The audience gave the performers a standing ovation.

Where does standing come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word grows from the Old English verb standan, meaning 'to be in or take an upright position', which traces back to a widespread Germanic root and ultimately to an ancient Indo-European base meaning 'to stand' that also gave Latin its stare and even shaped words like 'stable' and 'statue'. The plain physical sense of being on one's feet was the original meaning, and from there English speakers gradually extended it: by the late medieval and early modern periods, where a person 'stood' became a metaphor for their rank, reputation, or position in society. The -ing form served both as the ongoing action (the act of standing) and as a settled state or quality, which is how we arrived at phrases like 'good standing' and 'long-standing'. The adjective sense of 'permanent' or 'continuing' (as in a standing order) reflects the same idea of something fixed in place rather than passing. Because the spelling is simply 'stand' plus a regular '-ing', there is no hidden trap; it is one of the most transparent words in the language.

How the word is built

• stand (Old English standan: to be upright)
• -ing (forms a gerund, present participle, or noun)