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
My colleague Chris Morocco probably didn't expect his recipe to reach the gold standard for green beans.
—
Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025
Keeping the posting itself is the gold standard for tracking online applications, whether that’s via hard copy, copy-and-paste, or a screen shot.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
At the time, PEBA was the gold standard for super shoe foams, but A-TPU surpassed it in both energy return and resilience.
—Cory Smith, Outside, 25 Oct. 2025
The new headquarters, according to Dimon, sets the gold standard.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
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Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 2025
Keeping the posting itself is the gold standard for tracking online applications, whether that’s via hard copy, copy-and-paste, or a screen shot.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
At the time, PEBA was the gold standard for super shoe foams, but A-TPU surpassed it in both energy return and resilience.
—Cory Smith, Outside, 25 Oct. 2025
The new headquarters, according to Dimon, sets the gold standard.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 22 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 8 Nov. 2025.
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