gold standard

American  

noun

1. a monetary system with gold of specified weight and fineness as the unit of value.

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gold standard British  

noun

1. a monetary system in which the unit of currency is defined with reference to gold

2. the supreme example of something against which others are judged or measured

   the current gold standard for breast cancer detection

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gold standard Cultural  

1. A system in which a nation's currency has a value measured in gold and can be exchanged for gold. Most nations, including the United States, went off the gold standard in the 1930s.

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Etymology

Origin of gold standard

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gold standard

In fact, Leavitt may well become the gold standard for press secretaries into the foreseeable future.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

DNA is now a gold standard, used to expose false convictions.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

For decades, collagen has served as the gold standard scaffold in many regenerative medical and dental applications.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

“There is not some other gold standard that is the alternative to the dollar. What do you have confidence in? There is no answer,” Szczurowski said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Within minutes, Miele was on a table in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, awaiting angioplasty to unclog his artery—a procedure that many cardiologists say has become the gold standard in heart attack treatment.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times