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
Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket Every camper needs a just-in-case shell, and the Helium Rain Jacket is the gold standard.
—
Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2025
Apple AirPods 4 These are the gold standard for wireless earbuds, and teens want them.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 10 Dec. 2025
Kerr’s influence on Thunder coach Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault graciously credited Kerr for helping guide him at points in his own coaching journey, and considered Kerr’s handling of personalities to be the gold standard for coaches.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
There was even a report that Meta Platforms was considering TPUs in addition to Nvidia ‘s graphics processing units (GPUs), which are the gold standard for all-purpose AI workloads.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
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Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2025
Apple AirPods 4 These are the gold standard for wireless earbuds, and teens want them.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 10 Dec. 2025
Kerr’s influence on Thunder coach Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault graciously credited Kerr for helping guide him at points in his own coaching journey, and considered Kerr’s handling of personalities to be the gold standard for coaches.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
There was even a report that Meta Platforms was considering TPUs in addition to Nvidia ‘s graphics processing units (GPUs), which are the gold standard for all-purpose AI workloads.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 2 Dec. 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 Dec. 2025.
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