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

"Clinical trials are the gold standard, but by design, they are slow," says Guntuku.

From Science Daily • May 24, 2026

Eli Lilly’s next-generation weekly weight-loss shot may be more effective than Zepbound or bariatric surgery, which has long been the gold standard for weight loss.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Lawyers for CPL, an independent production company which makes the UK version of the show, said its welfare system is "gold standard" and industry-leading, and that it acted appropriately in all these cases.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

New York pizza may be the gold standard for connoisseurs, but Iowan pizza packs a profit punch.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Or do you suppose this is a red herring and that the abandonment of the gold standard is at the root of the matter?'

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro