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
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
Ian King, CNBC, 28 May 2025
Mom Rose de France amethyst and diamond sterling silver necklace: $110
Mom will cherish this Rose de France Amethyst and Diamond Sterling Silver Necklace.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 May 2025
His sterling resume and global recognition was meant to calm some of the diehard fans that were turning on the program and blaming former coach Gregg Berhalter for all that was going wrong.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterling
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Noun
It’s also been a strong month for sterling, which has climbed against both the euro and U.S. dollar.
—Ian King, CNBC, 28 May 2025
Mom Rose de France amethyst and diamond sterling silver necklace: $110
Mom will cherish this Rose de France Amethyst and Diamond Sterling Silver Necklace.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
Adjective
When going through Grandma's sterling silver, there are a few signs that will tell you if a piece is particularly high end.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 May 2025
His sterling resume and global recognition was meant to calm some of the diehard fans that were turning on the program and blaming former coach Gregg Berhalter for all that was going wrong.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterling
Cite this Entry
“Sterling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterling. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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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