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

His north star was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 classic that remains the gold standard of the cartoon hybrid form — and was told through the unexpected cinephilic lens of film noir. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

The role of Pam has been played by multiple actresses, but the gold standard is Betsy Palmer, the first to play the serial killer mom of a serial killer, in the 1980 film Friday the 13th. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

But that's not accessible, right, the gold standard of science. — CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026

Early childhood policy experts argue the deregulation could undermine Head Start's position as the gold standard in early education. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the gold standard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• substandard
• slandered