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
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Clinical trials are the gold standard for understanding whether medical treatments work.
—
Harsh Gupta, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Why is classic beauty the gold standard?
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Over the past 25 years, SVWC has become the gold standard of American literary festivals, gathering together the world’s top literary talents to look at the world through a literary lens.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Man-to-man, long the gold standard, has been on the verge of complete takeover.
—Jim Root, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
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Harsh Gupta, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Why is classic beauty the gold standard?
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Over the past 25 years, SVWC has become the gold standard of American literary festivals, gathering together the world’s top literary talents to look at the world through a literary lens.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Man-to-man, long the gold standard, has been on the verge of complete takeover.
—Jim Root, New York Times, 10 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 20 Oct. 2025.
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