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
That means Zero could become the gold standard of sustainable yachting.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
For over a decade, backlinks were the gold standard of SEO.
—Nick Brown, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
The risk of rising debt levels has felt intangible because the U.S. is the gold standard, so the expectation has been that the world will continue buying U.S. debt.
—Selina Wang, ABC News, 4 July 2025
Great, Less Filling Light Beers Miller Light remains the gold standard of mass produced light beers.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
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Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
For over a decade, backlinks were the gold standard of SEO.
—Nick Brown, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
The risk of rising debt levels has felt intangible because the U.S. is the gold standard, so the expectation has been that the world will continue buying U.S. debt.
—Selina Wang, ABC News, 4 July 2025
Great, Less Filling Light Beers Miller Light remains the gold standard of mass produced light beers.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 21 June 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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