gold bond: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal (Finance), Technical (Investing), Brand/Trademark
Quick answer
What does “gold bond” mean?
A certificate of debt issued by a government, corporation, or financial institution that is backed by or denominated in gold, or a bond considered highly reliable and valuable.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A certificate of debt issued by a government, corporation, or financial institution that is backed by or denominated in gold, or a bond considered highly reliable and valuable.
Historically, a bond redeemable in gold or backed by gold reserves; colloquially, any bond of the highest credit quality and security; also a brand name for certain products.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant linguistic difference. The financial term is used identically. The brand 'Gold Bond' is present in both markets but may be less commonly recognized as a household name in the UK compared to the US.
Connotations
In finance, both share connotations of security and high value. In everyday use, an American is more likely to associate it with the medicated powder brand.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English due to the prominent consumer brand. In British English, it is almost exclusively a financial/historical term.
Grammar
How to Use “gold bond” in a Sentence
issue a gold bondredeem a gold bondhold ~backed by ~as secure as a ~Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gold bond” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The government decided to gold-bond the national debt in the 19th century. (Rare, archaic)
American English
- They sought to gold-bond the new infrastructure issue. (Rare, archaic)
adverb
British English
- The deal was secured gold-bond. (Extremely rare/non-standard)
American English
- The investment performed gold-bond solidly. (Extremely rare/non-standard)
adjective
British English
- He held a gold-bond certificate in his safe deposit box.
American English
- The portfolio's gold-bond assets were its cornerstone.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Referring to a hypothetical or historical ultra-secure financial instrument.
Academic
Used in economic history to discuss the gold standard and pre-1930s finance.
Everyday
In the US, often refers to the medicated powder brand for skin relief.
Technical
In finance, a specific type of debt security backed by gold reserves (largely historical).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gold bond”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gold bond”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gold bond”
- Using 'gold bond' to mean any valuable connection (e.g., 'a gold bond between friends').
- Confusing it with 'golden handcuffs' (financial benefits to retain an employee).
- Misspelling as 'goldbound'.
- Thinking it is a common contemporary financial product.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, modern governments do not issue bonds redeemable in physical gold. The term is largely historical or metaphorical.
A gold bond promised repayment in a fixed amount of gold, protecting against currency devaluation. A regular bond is repaid in the issuing currency.
You can buy historical gold bond certificates as collectibles, but no new financial gold bonds are issued for investment purposes by major governments.
The brand name leverages the metaphor of 'gold' for high quality and 'bond' for strength and reliability, suggesting a superior product.
A certificate of debt issued by a government, corporation, or financial institution that is backed by or denominated in gold, or a bond considered highly reliable and valuable.
Gold bond is usually formal (finance), technical (investing), brand/trademark in register.
Gold bond: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɡəʊld ˈbɒnd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɡoʊld ˈbɑːnd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “As good as gold (related conceptually, but not identical)”
- “A gold bond of trust”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of GOLD as the most reliable metal and a BOND as a promise; a 'gold bond' is the most reliable promise of repayment.
Conceptual Metaphor
RELIABILITY IS A PRECIOUS METAL (A gold bond is the epitome of a trustworthy agreement).
Practice
Quiz
In contemporary American everyday usage, 'Gold Bond' most commonly refers to: