Par

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pɑː/

Definitions

1. A typical standard of performance or quality can be referred to as a baseline level
2. A level regarded as a standard or equal benchmark ; a set consisting of two matching or alike items
3. An amount considered standard or equivalent in value or quality ; two things that correspond or are meant to be together

Etymology: The word "par" in the sense of an equal level or standard came into English from Jamaican Creole, where it derived from "partner." The sense of a standard or average amount, as in golf's "par" or the phrase "on a par," follows that same thread: something that matches up with what it is compared against. The path is worth tracing because the word is a clipped form. "Partner" came into English from Anglo-French "parcener," meaning a sharer of something, and the shortened form carried the idea of two parts that fit together. That is why "par" today describes two things that correspond or are meant to go together, and why it can mean an equivalent value in finance, where currency is said to trade "at par."

Synonyms: equality, standard, average, norm, level

Antonyms: disparity, inequality, exception, anomaly, outlier