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
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American and European universities have long been the gold standard in higher education, attracting top students from around the world to institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford—thanks in large part to their research prowess.
—
Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
These truly are the gold standard for headphones.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
While Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) have been the gold standard for training AI models, there is an increasing focus on chips that can run inferencing processes quickly while also being more energy efficient.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The states have a role to play, and that is the gold standard of that regulation, and we shouldn’t be preempted by federal regulation.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the gold standard
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Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
These truly are the gold standard for headphones.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
While Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) have been the gold standard for training AI models, there is an increasing focus on chips that can run inferencing processes quickly while also being more energy efficient.
—Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The states have a role to play, and that is the gold standard of that regulation, and we shouldn’t be preempted by federal regulation.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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 7 Apr. 2026.
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