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

Nowhere did the gold standard develop a more distinguished pedigree than in Britain, which established it in the 1700s and maintained it almost continuously until World War I. Most countries suspended the gold standard during the War but returned to it afterward. —Time, 23 May 2025

Over the past 29 years, the Mission: Impossible series has become the gold standard for big-budget action films, but that wasn’t easy to foresee when the series began. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2025

For centuries, museum specimens have been the gold standard for documenting the presence of a species. —Chris Simon, The Conversation, 22 May 2025

Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach This oceanfront gem in Sunny Isles Beach, a family-friendly hideaway north of Miami, sets the gold standard for luxury family getaways. —Katie Lara, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Rhymes for the gold standard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• substandard
• slandered