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

Instead it’s a holdover from a bygone era of the gold standard, fixed exchange rates and periodic panics about global liquidity.

From The Wall Street Journal

“If you want what I would consider the gold standard, this is who we are and this is the price.”

From The Wall Street Journal

At the Olympics, the rest of the world lives on the gold standard.

From The Wall Street Journal

South Africa - the gold standard for everyone in world rugby at the moment - have the same.

From BBC

Seeing other sports show a more human side to their athletes - with Formula 1 documentary Drive To Survive regularly heralded as the gold standard - has forced tennis to think more creatively.

From BBC