1
: British money
2
: sterling silver or articles of it
1
a
: of, relating to, or calculated in terms of British sterling
b
: payable in sterling
2
a
of silver
: having a fixed standard of purity usually defined legally as represented by an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper
b
: made of sterling silver
3
: conforming to the highest standard
sterling character
a sterling record of achievement
sterlingly
adverb
sterlingness
noun
Synonyms of sterling
Examples of sterling in a Sentence
Noun
a drop in the value of sterling
Adjective
a sterling example of democracy at work
credited the win to the pitcher's sterling performance on the mound
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
Hamlin, whose sterling resume includes 61 wins but no Cup title, will undoubtedly be studying Charlotte all week, hunting for ways to improve his restarts by adapting his driving style.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Beth and Rip’s primary antagonist in tending to their herd of Black Angus steer with, we’re repeatedly told, sterling genetics is one Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening).
—Alison Herman, Variety, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterling
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Noun
Rosenqvist took home the sterling silver Borg Warner trophy, which features sculpted likenesses of past winners.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
Hamlin, whose sterling resume includes 61 wins but no Cup title, will undoubtedly be studying Charlotte all week, hunting for ways to improve his restarts by adapting his driving style.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
Adjective
Our own reporting has shown that Irizarry’s professional reputation among his peers in the Bay Area assessor community is sterling.
—Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Beth and Rip’s primary antagonist in tending to their herd of Black Angus steer with, we’re repeatedly told, sterling genetics is one Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening).
—Alison Herman, Variety, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterling
Cite this Entry
“Sterling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterling. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sterling
1 of 2 noun
ster·ling
ˈstər-liŋ 
1
: British money
2
: sterling silver or articles of it
sterling
2 of 2 adjective1
: of or relating to British sterling
2
: being or made of an alloy of 925 parts of silver with 75 parts of copper
sterling silver
3
Etymology
Noun
so called from the phrase "a pound sterling," meaning the British pound as a monetary unit, but originally "a pound (by weight) of sterlings," from Middle English sterling "silver penny"
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