From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstand for something phrasal verb1 MEANINGSHORT/NOT LONGif a letter or symbol stands for something, it represents a word or idea, especially as a short form What does ATM stand for?2 OPINIONto support a particular set of ideas, values, or principles It’s hard to tell what the party stands for these days.3 not stand for somethingLET/ALLOW British English to not allow something to continue to happen or someone to do something She’s been lying about me, and I won’t stand for it. → stand→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
stand for • The enemy stood for different things and must be defeated.• Everything Jack stood for Folly truly did despise, and she despised herself for having fallen in love with such a man.• I don't think we even knew what the O stood for; perhaps he lied about it.• These were what scientists call S waves, S standing for secunda, or second.• But what he stood for was good and plain: clean, affordable modem houses.not stand for something• In Michael's mind it was tantamount to mutiny and he would not stand for anyone disagreeing with him.• Kate would not stand for anything like that, she was too straight.• Never, say the sceptics: the man does not stand for anything.• I will not stand for it.• That left him with one explanation for the rarity of polygamy in sparrows: The senior wives do not stand for it.• However, she did not stand for re-election in 1979.• He replaces Berndt Schultz, the Fair's founder, who did not stand for re-election.• Even the Tories saw that the country would not stand for the Mad Woman's poll tax and ditched it. 