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 in American English
US
a monetary standard solely in terms of gold, in which the basic currency unit is made equal to and redeemable by a specified quantity of gold
Examples of 'gold standard' in a sentence
gold standard
British etiquette remains the gold standard by which all butlers are judged.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
While the system has a gold standard in quality for apprenticeships, this can impose constraints that make it harder to adapt to new digital industries.