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
But the business and government employment survey is widely considered by economists to be the gold standard.
—
David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
So this is not the gold standard.
—Obed Manuel, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
These cases remain the gold standard for UFO phenomena amidst growing government transparency and international interest.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Alabama is the gold standard in college football.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
So this is not the gold standard.
—Obed Manuel, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
These cases remain the gold standard for UFO phenomena amidst growing government transparency and international interest.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Alabama is the gold standard in college football.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share