double standard

noun

1
: a set of principles that applies differently and usually more rigorously to one group of people or circumstances than to another
especially : a code of morals that applies more severe standards of sexual behavior to women than to men
2

Examples of double standard in a Sentence

She argued that society applies a double standard in dealing with women who commit adultery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Both had spent their entire lives chafing under the terror of bigotry, and from the hypocrisy being exposed by a heinous, toxic legacy of institutionalized double standards. John E. Green, Time, 1 Feb. 2026 Some Republicans have even called out the double standard. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026 This double standard exists in large part because, from a regulatory standpoint, pregnancy itself is considered a health risk, according to Logan Nickels, chief research officer at the Male Contraceptive Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing nonhormonal male birth control. Ana Castelain, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026 Against that backdrop, granting blanket authorization for fully driverless vehicles would be a striking double standard. Sara Lind, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for double standard

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of double standard was in 1872

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Cite this Entry

“Double standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20standard. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

double standard

noun
: a set of standards that applies differently and usually more harshly to one group of people or circumstances than to another

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