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

Michael Jordan’s Jordan Brand shoes are perhaps considered the gold standard of hoops shoes as casual fashion. — Shakeia Taylor, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

All Saints has become the gold standard in TAPPS Division II and, arguably, the entire private school realm. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Colonoscopies are still considered the gold standard for screening, and blood testing is not the first choice for patients. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Manual review is still treated as the gold standard in most organizations. — David Talby, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for the gold standard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• substandard
• slandered