sterling

1 of 2

noun

ster·ling ˈstər-liŋ

Synonyms of sterling next

: British money

: sterling silver or articles of it

sterling

2 of 2

adjective

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

: payable in sterling

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

: made of sterling silver

: conforming to the highest standard

sterling character

a sterling record of achievement

sterlingly adverb

sterlingness noun

Example Sentences

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 sterling’s slump is in part a reflection of the strong U.S. dollar, which has been boosted by higher interest rates, but the pound has also dropped against the euro, indicating specific concerns about the British economy. —

Karla Adam, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2022 The paper explained that: The digital pound would be a new form of sterling … issued by the Bank of England. —

Richard Werner, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2023 That strategy, fleshed out by Mr. Kwarteng on Sept. 23, sent the pound sterling plunging and raised borrowing costs for the government, a development that rippled through into the domestic housing loan market. —

Stephen Castle, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2022 American visitors may remember the late 2000′s, when the exchange rate with the British pound was closing in on $2 — but the sterling hit an all-time low of $1.03 this week, following the government’s decision to enact sweeping tax cuts to spark economic growth. —

Hamza Shaban, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2022 In Asian trading early on Monday, the pound sterling hit an all-time low of $1.035 against the U.S. dollar. —

John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2022 All currency in the UK, known as the pound sterling, features the queen's portrait on them, which will eventually be replaced with the king's portrait. —

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2022 Anticipation of her munificence has already helped push the pound sterling near a multidecade low against the dollar. —

Gerard Baker, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 The couple’s musicians, florist, and stationery makers were based in the United Kingdom, so had to be paid in pound sterling, while Irish vendors were paid in Euros. —

Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2022

Adjective

This shop will sell women’s apparel, bags, small leather goods, accessories, shoes, belts, sunglasses, and sterling silver jewelry. —

Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 14 May 2023 Junior Susan Radebaugh made 11 saves for the No. 2 Gators, who got sterling defensive play from a unit that graduated standouts such as All-Metro Player of the Year Madison Beale (Duke) and Olivia Rose (Stanford). —

Rich Scherr, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2023 Each is adorned with shagreen leather, sterling silver, and oak reclaimed from old Irish whiskey barrels. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 May 2023 Offered in 14-karat gold vermeil and sterling silver, this handcrafted ring features the Greek goddess of the moon surrounded by tiny star details. —

Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2023 Created by Lee and starring Wong and Yeun as antagonists in a road rage incident who carry their feud to depraved extremes, the dark comedy has garnered sterling reviews and will reportedly contend for the Emmys. —

Avi Selk, Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2023 Girls Athlete of the Year: Keagan Rothrock, Roncalli The nation’s top high school softball player, Rothrock had a sterling junior season, going 28-0, with 382 strikeouts and eight no-hitters in leading the Royals to back-to-back state titles. —

The Indianapolis Star, 21 Apr. 2023 Efira, a César-winning Belgian French actor of luminous presence and quietly limitless range, has been a sterling fixture of European cinema for years now. —

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023 This is due to household products’ pure silver construction (sterling silver or silver-copper mixtures won’t wear as easily, but is more often seen in jewelry materials). —

Kate Mcgregor, House Beautiful, 14 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sterling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, silver penny, probably from Old English *steorling, from Old English steorra star + -ling entry 1 — more at star

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of sterling was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sterling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterling. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sterling

1 of 2 noun

ster·ling ˈstər-liŋ

: British money

: sterling silver or articles of it

sterling

2 of 2 adjective

: of or relating to British sterling

: being or made of an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper

sterling silver

: excellent

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"