Synonyms of touchstone

touchstone

noun

ˈtəch-ˌstōn 

as in criterion

something set up as an example against which others of the same type are compared

his book has long been a touchstone for travel writing that aspires to be literature

Synonyms & Similar Words

• criterion
• standard
• benchmark
• measure
• metric
• yardstick
• barometer
• example
• gold standard
• instance
• rule
• grade
• par
• mark
• norm
• bar
• case
• average
• pinnacle
• apex
• meridian
• summit
• peak
• zenith
• acme

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deviation
• abnormality
• aberration

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun touchstone contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of touchstone are criterion, gauge, standard, and yardstick. While all these words mean "a means of determining what a thing should be," touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

When could criterion be used to replace touchstone?

The words criterion and touchstone can be used in similar contexts, but criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

Where would gauge be a reasonable alternative to touchstone?

Although the words gauge and touchstone have much in common, gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

When can standard be used instead of touchstone?

While the synonyms standard and touchstone are close in meaning, standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

How do yardstick and criterion relate to one another, in the sense of touchstone?

Yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of touchstone

The man who once mocked piety had become a moral touchstone; the scold of American pretensions now dined with tycoons. —Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

Our project used John Prine as a touchstone because his career, from his initial smash review by Roger Ebert in 1970 to his death in 2020, neatly frames a 50-year window into the great American conversation. —Sarah Blomeley, Time, 25 Apr. 2025

The film became a generational touchstone with its keen insight into 1990s teen life as seen in a Seattle suburb. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025

The two bond over their work and come to rely on one another’s advice in a way that becomes a touchstone for the series. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!