the gold standard
noun
1
: a system in which a unit of money (such as the dollar) is equal to a particular amount of gold
The United States was still on the gold standard in the early 20th century.
2
: something that is considered to be the best and that is used to judge the quality or level of other, similar things
This car is the gold standard for luxury automobiles.
the gold standard of stylish resorts
Examples of the gold standard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since its inception, Giorgio Armani SpA has been a beacon of timeless elegance and sophistication, setting the gold standard in luxury fashion.
—
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Ongoing randomized trials – the gold standard for evaluating new uses of drugs – are looking at the effects of GLP-1 drugs in early Alzheimer’s disease, with results expected later in 2025.
—Ziyad Al-Aly, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2025
McKinley had just become the Republican nominee for president and supported the gold standard, which would keep the value of gold high—and Dickey’s prospecting lucrative.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2025
Patrick Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to four Super Bowls in the previous five seasons and won three of them, is widely considered the gold standard at the position.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the gold standard 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Ongoing randomized trials – the gold standard for evaluating new uses of drugs – are looking at the effects of GLP-1 drugs in early Alzheimer’s disease, with results expected later in 2025.
—Ziyad Al-Aly, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2025
McKinley had just become the Republican nominee for president and supported the gold standard, which would keep the value of gold high—and Dickey’s prospecting lucrative.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2025
Patrick Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to four Super Bowls in the previous five seasons and won three of them, is widely considered the gold standard at the position.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the gold standard
Dictionary Entries Near the gold standard
Cite this Entry
“The gold standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20gold%20standard. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share