standard

A standard is an established norm or criterion used to measure, assess, or compare objects, processes, or performances. Standards provide consistency and compatibility across products, services, and activities. They may be formal rules, guidelines, or agreed-upon benchmarks.

Standards can be product standards that specify attributes, process standards that describe how a task should be performed, and interface or interoperability standards that enable different systems to work together. Examples include ISO 9001 quality management, ISO/IEC 27001 information security, the IEEE 754 floating-point standard, HTML and Unicode for data formats, and USB as a hardware interface.

Most standards are developed by national or international standards bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), or industry consortia. Development is typically voluntary and consensus-based, though some standards are mandated by law or regulation. The process usually involves committees, draft documents, public comment, ballots, and revisions before formal publication.

Standards aim to improve safety, quality, interoperability, and trade, while reducing costs through common specifications. However, proliferation of parallel standards can create fragmentation and compliance burdens; balancing openness with practical implementation is an ongoing concern. Intellectual property and licensing may influence how freely a standard can be adopted.