precious metal

American

noun

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

precious metal British

noun

any of the metals gold, silver, or platinum

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Gold edged lower in early Asian trade on prospects of dollar strength, which makes the dollar-denominated precious metal more expensive for holders of nondollar currencies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

After a steep run-up, the precious metal took a dive.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

The precious metal “remains highly sensitive to evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East,” Infinox’s Thadeu Dos Santos says in an email.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

It seemed that the People were almost as fond of the precious metal as humans.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023