double standard
Americannoun
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double standards
plural
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any code or set of principles containing different provisions for one group of people than for another, especially an unwritten code of sexual behavior permitting men more freedom than women.
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Economics. bimetallism.
noun
Usage
What does double standard mean? Ideally, we should all be judged according to the same criteria. But when someone is treated differently than someone else in the same situation, especially when women are treated differently than men or men are given more freedom than women, we call that a double standard. How do you pronounce double standard?[ duhb-uhl stan-derd ]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of double standard
First recorded in 1950–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nonetheless, protesters say the backlash and the prime minister’s speech point to a troubling double standard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
New grads are caught in a double standard around AI.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai waved off the double standard as an “asinine observation” in a NewsNation interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"Maybe it's a double standard and down to my upbringing, but I still find it attractive."
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
“I know it seems like a double standard, but your father needs to stay in constant contact with his business interests,” Mom added apologetically, slipping back into her chair.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
