sterling

noun

ster·ling | \ˈstər-liŋ

Definition of sterling

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : British money

2 : sterling silver or articles of it

sterling

adjective

Definition of sterling (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : of, relating to, or calculated in terms of British sterling

b : payable in sterling

2a of silver : having a fixed standard of purity usually defined legally as represented by an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper

b : made of sterling silver

3 : conforming to the highest standard sterling character a sterling record of achievement

Other Words from sterling Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sterling

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Examples of sterling in a Sentence

Noun

a drop in the value of sterling

Adjective

a sterling example of democracy at work credited the win to the pitcher's sterling performance on the mound

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The sale’s variety included gold hat pins, porcelain services for 20, 30 or 40 and their remnants, antique textiles, festooned finger bowls, fine furniture, and examples of every sort of object possible to craft from sterling silver. — Michael Henry Adams, Town & Country, "Inside the Auction of Eileen Slocum's Astounding Newport Mansion," 28 Sep. 2018 Swedish fans will be eager to their side return to glory again in Russia this summer, as Janne Anderssen's side attempts to deliver a sterling showing despite the odds being against them in their group. — SI.com, "Without Zlatan, Sweden Takes More Balanced Approach Into World Cup," 4 June 2018 With three games remaining in the regular season of what has been a sterling 14-1 run for the Falmouth Academy girls’ lacrosse team, senior captain Jane Earley has racked up 101 goals, assisted on 45 others, and won an astounding 106 draw controls. — Ryan Hathaway, BostonGlobe.com, "Their mind-set for scoring? Create then finish," 24 May 2018 This package was to have contained a sterling silver diamond tennis bracelet valued at $305 shipped by Kohl's. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee man charged in UPS thefts at Elm Grove facility," 13 July 2018 Cohan often plays excerpts of these and other original compositions, scaled down to the instrumentation at hand, which this time will be a sterling quartet featuring saxophonist John Wojciechowski, bassist James Cammack and drummer George Fludas. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "From Bernstein to Broadway to Latin jazz," 12 July 2018 The pound sterling held steady after Davis’s announcement but slid after the Johnson resignation. — Karla Adam, Washington Post, "Boris Johnson and ‘Brexit minister’ resign, leaving Theresa May’s government in disarray," 9 July 2018 Country belter Cam’s fiery persona is backed up by her rich voice and sterling songwriting, which honors country’s past while taking the pro-woman lyrics of elders like Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton into the 21st century. — Maura Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, "A mood-lifting performance from Sam Smith at TD Garden," 28 June 2018 The original Woodlawn Vase, a sterling silver trophy made by Tiffany in 1860 and valued at about $4 million, is owned by the Maryland Jockey Club and displayed in the Baltimore Museum of Art. — Mike Klingaman, baltimoresun.com, "Owner's trophy for Native Dancer's 1953 Preakness win bought at auction by local developer," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In particular, the parts set in the institution, the focus on daily existence in the place, the clamor, the tensions, the character of the guards, the favors available for a little bribery, all of it a sterling evocation of prison life. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘Escape at Dannemora’ Review: Prison Heartbreak," 15 Nov. 2018 To oversee its security, the DNC hired Raffi Krikorian and Bob Lord, two security officers with sterling Silicon Valley credentials. — Benjamin Wofford, Vox, "The midterms are already hacked. You just don’t know it yet.," 25 Oct. 2018 Valedictorian of her high school class and daughter of Iranian immigrants, Etami took several Advanced Placement classes and compiled a sterling grade-point average. — Nick Anderson, Washington Post, "A shake-up in elite admissions: U-Chicago drops SAT/ACT testing requirement," 14 June 2018 An ugly beef with the rapper Pusha-T bruised his ego and damaged his sterling public reputation. — Andy Hutchins, Time, "Scorpion Finds Drake Struggling to Keep It All Together," 29 June 2018 The Falcon Heavy booster gives SpaceX a powerful new tool in its competition with United Launch Alliance, which has a sterling reliability record but generally higher prices. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Air Force certifies Falcon Heavy, orders satellite launch for 2020," 21 June 2018 The Game is Now cost 54 pounds sterling and can be purchased at the escape room’s official website. — Clark Collis, EW.com, "Official Sherlock escape room to open in London this fall," 5 June 2018 For reasons that have almost nothing to do with her leadership abilities and other sterling qualities, a President Clinton would have made a great 2018 midterm for her party extremely unlikely, and a debilitating defeat quite possible. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "What the Midterms Would Look Like If Clinton Had Won," 1 May 2018 But that’s not too long to enjoy David Walker’s French Baroque sets and costumes, or the lively contribution — in roles that range from peasants and nymphs to the fairies’ attendants and Désiré’s hunting party — of the company’s sterling corps. — Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston Ballet reawakens ‘Sleeping Beauty’," 12 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sterling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.