Definition
A fixed altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of mercury (or 1013.2 hectopascals) used by all aircraft when operating at or above the flight levels, so that every aircraft references the same pressure datum regardless of the actual local barometric pressure.
Plain English
It is the agreed-upon pressure number — 29.92 — that pilots dial into the altimeter at high altitudes so everyone is measuring height from the same starting point.
Context Anchor
Seen in altitude, pressure altitude, and instrument flight discussions, especially when aircraft operate at higher assigned altitudes using a common reference.
Derivation
"Standard" here comes from the Latin root meaning a fixed reference or rule. It is called standard because it is the one setting everyone agrees to use, not because it matches the real pressure on any given day.
Why Pilots Care
Using the standard setting above the transition altitude ensures vertical separation between aircraft and accurate pressure altitude reporting for ATC.
Grounding Statement
With the standard altimeter setting, the altimeter is no longer trying to match local airport pressure; it is measuring from the shared 29.92 pressure reference.
Intuition Check
Standard does not mean the normal or best setting for every flight. Here it means the fixed shared pressure setting of 29.92 used when procedures call for a common reference.
Example Sentence 1
Climbing through the transition altitude, the pilot set the altimeter to the standard altimeter setting of 29.92.
Example Sentence 2
All aircraft operating in Class A airspace use the standard altimeter setting to maintain consistent pressure altitude indications.