sterling

¹ American  

[stur-ling] / ˈstɜr lɪŋ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or noting British money.

   The sterling equivalent is #5.50.

2. (of silver) having the standard fineness of 0.925.

3. made of silver of this fineness.

   a sterling teapot.

4. thoroughly excellent.

   a man of sterling worth.

   Synonyms:

   first-rate, worthy, honorable, noble

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noun

1. British currency.

2. the standard of fineness for gold and silver coin in the United Kingdom, 0.91666 for gold and 0.500 for silver.

3. Also called sterling silver.  silver having a fineness of 0.925, now used especially in the manufacture of table utensils, jewelry, etc.

4. manufactured articles of sterling silver.

5. sterling flatware.

Sterling ² American  

[stur-ling] / ˈstɜr lɪŋ /

noun

1. a city in NW Illinois.

2. a city in NE Colorado.

3. a male given name.

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sterling ¹ British  

/ ˈstɜːlɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. British money

      pound sterling

   2. ( as modifier )

      sterling reserves

2. the official standard of fineness of British coins: for gold 0.91666 and for silver 0.925

3. 1. short for sterling silver

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sterling bracelet

4. an article or articles manufactured from sterling silver

5. a former British silver penny

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adjective

1. (prenominal) genuine and reliable; first-class

   sterling quality

Sterling ² British  

/ ˈstɜːlɪŋ /

noun

1. Peter. born 1960, Australian rugby league player: played 18 matches for Australia (1982–88)

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Other Word Forms

• sterlingly adverb
• sterlingness noun

Etymology

Origin of sterling

1250–1300; Middle English: name of a silver coin ( star, -ling ¹ ), with reference to the little star on some of the mintages

Example Sentences

On paper, it all looks fairly obvious—a team that finished the regular season 14-3 against another 14-3 team, two ascendant quarterbacks, two sterling defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal

U.K. government bond yields rose and sterling fell amid reports that an independent lawmaker is poised to step down and open the way for a potential challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

From The Wall Street Journal

The threat of a more menacing trade war provided support for the euro, sterling and other European currencies, while the U.S. dollar — already under pressure — fell on Monday, a public holiday in the U.S.

From MarketWatch

Stock futures duly fell, the implied yield on 10-year Treasury futures rose and gold prices jumped, while the dollar fell against the euro and sterling.

From The Wall Street Journal

But people with sterling credit scores who pay off their credit-card bills regularly might escape that new reality and keep taking advantage of rewards programs.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• admirable
• excellent
• first-rate
• magnificent
• marvelous
• outstanding
• splendid
• stunning