1
: British money
2
: sterling silver or articles of it
1
a
: of, relating to, or calculated in terms of British sterling
b
: payable in sterling
2
a
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
sterlingly
adverb
sterlingness
noun
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
Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
According to Janet Mui, head of market analysis at RBC Brewin Dolphin, much of the pound's upward trajectory has more to do with underlying dollar weakness than faith in sterling itself.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 June 2025
Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
Call quality is another sterling WH-1000XM6 feature, offering clarity on both sides of calls, even in bustling environments.
—Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterling
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Noun
The necklace is made of high-quality sterling silver that is plated in a delicate rose rhodium.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
According to Janet Mui, head of market analysis at RBC Brewin Dolphin, much of the pound's upward trajectory has more to do with underlying dollar weakness than faith in sterling itself.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 June 2025
Adjective
The sterling silver and gold-plated accents allow the earrings to pair well with the silver and gold pieces in your existing jewelry collection.
—Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
Call quality is another sterling WH-1000XM6 feature, offering clarity on both sides of calls, even in bustling environments.
—Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterling
Cite this Entry
“Sterling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterling. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sterling
1 of 2 noun
ster·ling
ˈstər-liŋ 
1
: British money
2
: sterling silver or articles of it
sterling
2 of 2 adjective1
: of or relating to British sterling
2
: being or made of an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper
sterling silver
3
Etymology
Noun
so called from the phrase "a pound sterling," meaning the British pound as a monetary unit, but originally "a pound (by weight) of sterlings," from Middle English sterling "silver penny"
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