gold standard

noun

1. a monetary system with gold of specified weight and fineness as the unit of value.

gold standard

noun

1. a monetary system in which the unit of currency is defined with reference to gold

2. the supreme example of something against which others are judged or measured

   the current gold standard for breast cancer detection

gold standard

1. A system in which a nation's currency has a value measured in gold and can be exchanged for gold. Most nations, including the United States, went off the gold standard in the 1930s.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gold standard¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

His look became the gold standard for the Hollywood executives of the 1980s.

From Los Angeles Times

FDR unilaterally took the U.S. off the gold standard in 1933.

From Los Angeles Times

Democrats’ rush to the ballot marks a sudden departure from California’s 15-year commitment to independent redistricting, often held up as the country’s gold standard.

From Los Angeles Times

“Baldwin: A Love Story” is superlative, and it should become the new gold standard for Baldwin studies.

From Los Angeles Times

These settlements represent a fundamental betrayal of institutional values, with CBS’s $16 million payment particularly egregious given the network’s distinguished history under Edward R. Murrow, when it served as “the gold standard of broadcast journalism”.

From Los Angeles Times