gold reserve

American  

noun

1. the stock of gold held by a government or central bank to back its promissory notes or currency or to settle its international debts.

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gold reserve British  

noun

1. the gold reserved by a central bank to support domestic credit expansion, to cover balance of payments deficits, and to protect currency

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Etymology

Origin of gold reserve

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

Precious metals previously gained on hopes of central bank rate cuts and reduced gold reserve sales following the truce.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Supplies of the gold reserve, shown above, are limited; the standard sourwood honey is more generally available.

From New York Times • Sep. 18, 2017

He didn’t respond to questions about whether this included plans to sell off U.S. assets, such as the gold reserve.

From Washington Post • Jun. 9, 2017

However, many investors exchanged the bank notes with which the government purchased the silver for gold, thus severely depleting the nation’s gold reserve.

From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014

The Commission recommends elimination of the legal requirement that the Federal Reserve System maintain a gold reserve as backing for American currency.

From The Invisible Government by Smoot, Dan