sterling

1 of 2

noun

ster·​ling ˈstər-liŋ 

1

: British money

2

: sterling silver or articles of it

sterling

2 of 2

adjective

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

Adjective

• A-OK
• A1
• awesome
• bang-up
• banner
• beautiful
• blue-chip
• blue-ribbon
• boffo
• bonny [chiefly British]
• bonnie
• boss [slang]
• brag
• brave
• bully
• bumper
• capital
• choice
• classic
• cool [slang]
• corking
• crackerjack
• cracking
• dandy
• divine
• dope [slang]
• down [slang]
• dynamite
• excellent
• fab
• fabulous
• famous
• fantabulous [slang]
• fantastic
• fine
• first-class
• first-rate
• first-string
• five-star
• four-star
• frontline
• gangbusters
• gangbuster
• gilt-edged
• gilt-edge
• gone [slang]
• grand
• great
• groovy
• heavenly
• high-class
• hot
• hype [slang]
• immense
• jim-dandy
• keen
• lovely
• marvelous
• marvellous
• mean
• neat
• nifty
• noble
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• out-of-sight [slang]
• par excellence
• peachy
• peachy keen
• phat [slang]
• prime
• primo [slang]
• prize
• prizewinning
• quality
• radical [slang]
• righteous [slang]
• sensational
• slick
• splendid
• stellar
• superb
• superior
• superlative
• supernal
• swell
• terrific
• tip-top
• top
• top-notch
• top-of-the-line
• top-shelf
• topflight
• topping [chiefly British]
• unsurpassed
• wizard [chiefly British]
• wonderful

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

Noun

That in turn could boost the U.S. dollar against currencies such as the euro and sterling. —Karen Gilchrist,jenni Reid, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2024

The moves were more muted than in Asia, however, with the euro strengthening around 0.5% against the dollar and British sterling rising 0.1% against the greenback. —Dylan Butts,karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Now, the seemingly sterling résumé left only questions. —James Laporta, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2025

Vinícius Júnior Vini Junior, the sterling 24 year-old talent from Brazil has been widely regarded as the best South American footballer on the planet in 2024. —Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, silver penny, probably from Old English *steorling, from Old English steorra star + -ling entry 1 — more at star

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sterling

• sterling area
• sterling bloc

Kids Definition

sterling

1 of 2 noun

ster·​ling ˈstər-liŋ 

1

: British money

2

: sterling silver or articles of it

sterling

2 of 2 adjective

1

: 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

: excellent

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"