the gold standard
noun
1
: a system in which a unit of money (such as the dollar) is equal to a particular amount of gold
The United States was still on the gold standard in the early 20th century.
2
: something that is considered to be the best and that is used to judge the quality or level of other, similar things
This car is the gold standard for luxury automobiles.
the gold standard of stylish resorts
Examples of the gold standard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s a reason why everyone from nurses to marathon runners upholds Hoka as the gold standard in comfy walking shoes.
—
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025
To treat insomnia, the AASM recommends cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I), which is considered the gold standard for insomnia treatment.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Nov. 2025
Multigig plans, defined as connections delivering 2 Gbps or faster download speeds, are now the gold standard for households that stream in 4K, game online or run multiple smart devices at once.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
My colleague Chris Morocco probably didn't expect his recipe to reach the gold standard for green beans.
—Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
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Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025
To treat insomnia, the AASM recommends cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I), which is considered the gold standard for insomnia treatment.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Nov. 2025
Multigig plans, defined as connections delivering 2 Gbps or faster download speeds, are now the gold standard for households that stream in 4K, game online or run multiple smart devices at once.
—Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
My colleague Chris Morocco probably didn't expect his recipe to reach the gold standard for green beans.
—Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
Cite this Entry
“The gold standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20gold%20standard. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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