gold standard

noun

1

: a monetary standard under which the basic unit of currency is defined by a stated quantity of gold and which is usually characterized by the coinage and circulation of gold, unrestricted convertibility of other money into gold, and the free export and import of gold for settling of international obligations

2

: benchmark sense 1a

Synonyms of gold standard

• standard
• criterion
• benchmark

Examples of gold standard in a Sentence

the gold standard for accurate experimental procedures is the double-blind medication trial

Recent Examples on the Web

While charcoal grills are the affordable gold standard for many home cooks, gas grills can do nearly everything a charcoal grill can (just with slightly less smoky flavor). — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers remain in first place in the National League Central, a baseball industry gold standard for pitching development and small-market efficiency. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 June 2026

For most of those 20 years, Tesco’s Dunnhumby was the analytics gold standard. — Aneesh Reddy, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

American science remains the global gold standard in many respects, driven by extraordinary talent, world-class institutions and a long tradition of discovery that has shaped modern life. — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 16 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gold standard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• substandard
• slandered