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sterling

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sterling¹

  • /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/ UK
  • /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/ US
  • /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ Scotland

Sounds like Stirling (fern–fir–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)lɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Middle English sterling, possibly from Old English *steorling, from steorra (“star”) and -ling, in reference to the stars that appeared on certain English pennies. Alternatively, the first element may be *stēre, meaning “strong” or “stout” (compare the etymology of solidus).

noun sterlings

  1. countable An English silver penny first introduced by the Normans. Nummus […] is taken for braſſe pens, or els pieces of ſiluer of the valu of a dandiprat or i. d. ob. a pece or there about, ſo that yͤ thouſand peces wer moche about the ſomme of twentie nobles sterlynges [i.e., nobles of sterlings].
  2. broadly, countable A penny issued in other countries, such as Scotland.
  3. broadly, uncountable The currency of the United Kingdom, also called the pound sterling Ophe[lia]. He hath my Lord of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me. / […] / Pol[onius]. Marry I vvill teach you, thinke your ſelfe a babie / That you haue tane [taken] theſe tenders for true pay / VVhich are not ſterling, tender your ſelfe more dearely […]
  4. abbreviation, broadly, uncountable Short for sterling silver (“an alloy containing not less than 92.5 percent silver, the remainder usually being copper; articles made from this alloy collectively”). Many of the women cleaned house for other women, soaping fine china and polishing heavy sterling, […]
  5. broadly, historical, uncountable Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness (0.91666 for gold and 0.925 for silver). […] Sterling vvas the knovvn and approved Standard in England, in all Probability, from the Beginning of King Henry the Second's Reign. But King John vvas undoubtedly the firſt vvho introduced Sterling Money in Ireland.
  6. broadly, countable, obsolete Synonym of pennyweight (“a unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce”) [E]ight of them [carats] make but one Sterlin, and a Sterlin is the 24 part of an ounce.

    Similar: pennyweight

  7. broadly, obsolete, uncountable Money generally.
  8. broadly, obsolete, uncountable The standard degree of fineness. [T]he Lavv hath not left it in the Povver of the Prerogative to compel the Subject to take any Money, beſide Gold and Silver of the Right Sterling and Standard.

adjective more sterling · most sterling

  1. not comparable, usually Of or relating to the currency of the United Kingdom, or former types of English or British coinage. […] King William [the Lion] vvas to pay 100000. l. [pound] Striueling for his ranſome, the one half in preſent coin, the other 50000 l. vpon time.
  2. not comparable, usually Of silver: being of standard quality.
  3. not comparable, usually Of a thing: of or relating to, or made from, sterling silver. The ſterling mark upon plate, and the ſtamps upon linen and vvoollen cloth, give the purchaſer much greater ſecurity than any ſtatute of apprenticeſhip.
  4. archaic, not comparable, usually Of English (or (obsolete) Scottish) currency: genuine, of legal tender. Pray thee peace, pay her the debt you ovve her, and vnpay the villany you haue done vvith her, the one you may doe vvith ſterling mony, and the other vvith currant repentance.
  5. comparable, figuratively, not comparable, usually Of acknowledged influence; authoritative; also, of high or excellent quality; of proven worth. […] I knovv your Opinion is current and ſterling: […]
  6. comparable, figuratively, not comparable, obsolete, usually Having currency (“general acceptance, recognition, or use”). This waie of exerciſe was […] made ſterling agayne by M. Quintilian: […]

sterling²

  • /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/ UK
  • /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/ US
  • /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ Scotland

Sounds like Stirling (fern–fir–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)lɪŋ

Where it comes from

See starling (etymology 1).

noun sterlings

  1. obsolete Obsolete form of starling (“a family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds; specifically, the common starling, Sturnus vulgaris, which has dark, iridescent plumage”).

sterling³

  • /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/ UK
  • /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/ US
  • /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ Scotland

Sounds like Stirling (fern–fir–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)lɪŋ

Where it comes from

See starling (etymology 2).

noun sterlings

  1. obsolete Obsolete form of starling (“an enclosure like a coffer-dam, formed of piles driven closely together before any structure or work, as a protection against the wash of waves, commonly used to protect the piers of a bridge”). Near the bridge the bubbles rose large as oak-apples; he was kicking four webs together, having sighted the fish. The bubbles ended in another swirl by a weed-fringed sterling, and a delicate swift water-arrow shot away between the two piers of the middle arch—the peal, or sea-trout, had gone down,

Sterling⁴

  • /ˈstɜː.lɪŋ/ UK
  • /ˈstɝ.lɪŋ/ US

Sounds like Stirling · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)lɪŋ

Where it comes from

See Stirling.

proper noun

  1. A Scottish surname, variant of Stirling.
  2. An English surname, thought to be a variant of Starling.
  3. A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
  4. A census-designated place in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska.
  5. A city, the county seat of Logan County, Colorado.
  6. A town in Windham County, Connecticut.
  7. A census-designated place in Glynn County, Georgia.
  8. An unincorporated community in Bingham County, Idaho.
  9. A city in Whiteside County, Illinois.
  10. A ghost town in Jackson County, Iowa.
  11. A city in Rice County, Kansas, named after Sterling Rosan.
  12. A town in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
  13. A village in Deep River Township, Arenac County, Michigan.
  14. An unincorporated community in Howell County, Missouri.
  15. An unincorporated community in Madison County, Montana.
  16. A village in Johnson County, Nebraska.
  17. A town in Cayuga County, New York.
  18. An unincorporated community in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
  19. An unincorporated community in Burleigh County, North Dakota.
  20. A census-designated place in Milton Township, Wayne County, Ohio.
  21. A town in Comanche County, Oklahoma.
  22. An unincorporated community in Woodward Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
  23. A town in Sanpete County, Utah.
  24. A census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia.
  25. An unincorporated community in Skagit County, Washington.
  26. A town in Polk County, Wisconsin.
  27. A town in Vernon County, Wisconsin.
  28. A number of townships, listed under Sterling Township.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: superlative, superior, greatest, libra, pound, books, solid, firth, first-rate, genuine, pond, good, inherent, distinguished, bright, valuable

Translations

Every language

noun currency of the United Kingdom, based on the pound sterling; genuine English or British currency, as contrasted with foreign currency

Españollibra esterlina
日本語英貨 eika
中文英镑 Yīngbàng
Portuguêsesterlina
Italianosterlina
Русскийсте́рлинг stérling, фунт funt
العربيةجنيَه إِسْتِرْلِينِيّ

noun former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness

日本語法定純度 hōtei jundo
Italianosterlina, oro sterlina, argento sterlina

adj of or relating to the currency of the United Kingdom, or former types of English or British coinage

Portuguêsesterlino

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Cite this
MLA

"sterling." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sterling. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sterling. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sterling

Chicago

"sterling." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sterling.

BibTeX
@misc{sterling_2026,
  title = {sterling},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sterling},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}