standpat

1 of 2

adjective

stand·​pat ˈstan(d)-ˈpat 

: stubbornly conservative : resisting or opposing change

stand pat

2 of 2

verb

stood pat; standing pat; stands pat

intransitive verb

1

: to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing

2

: to oppose or resist change

standpatter

ˈstan(d)-ˌpa-tər 

-ˈpa-tər

noun

standpattism

ˈstan(d)-ˌpa-ˌti-zəm 

noun

Did you know?

If you stand pat in draw poker you're betting on the cards in your hand being better than any you're likely to draw. It didn't take long for stand pat to move from the poker table, where it first appeared in the late 1800s, to the realm of politics; by the early 20th century, to stand pat was to oppose any change in U.S. tariff policy. The term continues to be used mainly in U.S. English, where it's applied to everything from a coach's decision not to change out players during a game to a homeowner's decision not to refinance. The nouns standpatter ("one who resists or opposes change") and standpattism ("resistance to change" or "reluctance to take positive action") are also used, although generally only in political contexts.

Synonyms

Adjective

• archconservative
• brassbound
• button-down
• buttoned-down
• conservative
• die-hard
• hidebound
• mossbacked
• old-fashioned
• old-line
• old-school
• orthodox
• paleoconservative
• reactionary
• traditional
• traditionalistic
• ultraconservative
• unprogressive

Examples of standpat in a Sentence

Adjective

the standpat chefs were having none of this low-calorie stuff that the food police were pushing

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Asia-Pacific markets extended momentum from Wall Street and moved higher during Friday’s session, after both the Bank of Japan and the People’s Bank of China also stood pat on rates. —Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024

Rather than stand pat and add another young prospect to pair with Wembanyama, Castle and Devin Vassell, the Spurs traded it to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 2030 first-round pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024

The only exceptions are Leger, Redfield & Wilton Strategies and Ipsos/ABC News, whose post-debate polls showed Harris losing 1 point, standing pat and standing pat, respectively, compared with their last surveys. —G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024

The other side: Martinez and the Board of Education have stood pat against the mayor and the union, pushing back against the idea of borrowing money to pay for parts of the budget. —Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

pat entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stand pat

verb

1

: to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing

2

: to oppose or resist change

standpatter

ˈstan(d)-ˌpat-ər 

noun

standpattism

-ˌpat-ˌiz-əm 

noun