precious metal

American  

noun

1. a metal of the gold, silver, or platinum group.

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precious metal British  

noun

1. any of the metals gold, silver, or platinum

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Example Sentences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked citizens in a speech on Sunday to avoid buying gold jewelry for functions, coming as the country’s appetite for the precious metal continues to drive foreign-currency spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

The precious metal also forms part of the central bank’s currency defense war chest, comprising roughly 17% of its forex reserves as of end-March.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Gold broke above an important short-term technical level on Friday — a sign that the precious metal may be starting to regain momentum after a sluggish stretch since the start of the Iran conflict.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

But prices for the precious metal could still nearly double in the next five years if emerging-market central banks ramp up their push to diversify their reserves away from the dollar, according to Deutsche Bank.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Groves kept his promise: the precious metal was all returned to the Treasury, though the last of it was not transferred until 1968.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik