Standard Model
Definition
Physics' best theory of the subatomic world — the complete catalog of fundamental particles and three of the four forces.
Technical definition
The quantum field theory describing electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions via gauge bosons, with matter built from quarks and leptons. Confirmed by the Higgs boson discovery (2012). It excludes gravity and does not explain dark matter or neutrino masses.
Example
Every particle collision at the Large Hadron Collider is interpreted through the Standard Model — it is the operating system of particle physics.
Common confusion
The Standard Model is not a ‘theory of everything’ — gravity is not included, and it has unexplained parameters (like particle masses). It is the best-tested theory in science, yet known to be incomplete.