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

Whole grains Until recently, grain-free dog food was considered the gold standard of dog food by some. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 June 2026

The product is now omnipresent—every brand has its own version (or five)—but Ilia’s formula remains the gold standard among celebrities (Martha Stewart, Kate Hudson, etc), shoppers, and editors alike. —Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 12 June 2026

The caption is almost entirely about tariffs — no mention, for example, of establishing the gold standard, which was really the big issue of the 1896 campaign. —New York Times, 11 June 2026

At the same time, as the Americans decide to go on the gold standard, other important economies do so too. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Rhymes for the gold standard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• substandard
• slandered