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

Ashton said the "gold standard" would be for schools to only allow "brick" phones, which can be used to call or text but have very limited internet access, and are not a "distraction tool".

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“Only through radical transparency and gold standard science, will we earn it back.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

I Googled “Philadelphia public radio” and found WXPN, now my gold standard.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

Beauty editors have long touted it as the gold standard of skin care, and A-listers from Jennifer Lopez to Chris Hemsworth are among its fans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 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