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
Ludovic Marin/Getty Images French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned the US and Indo-Pacific nations Friday against risking a dangerous double standard by focusing on China while potentially abandoning Ukraine.
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Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Every antisemitic statement left unchallenged, every double standard applied to Jews and the Jewish state, every instance of minimizing Jewish pain—all of it contributes to this environment where such violence is possible.
—Jonathan Greenblatt, Time, 23 May 2025
This pattern reflects a double standard — a desire for the intimacy and the support of a relationship without taking on the commitment or responsibility that comes with it.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Social media engagement is high but also reveals toxic comments and double standards.
—Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for double standard
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Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Every antisemitic statement left unchallenged, every double standard applied to Jews and the Jewish state, every instance of minimizing Jewish pain—all of it contributes to this environment where such violence is possible.
—Jonathan Greenblatt, Time, 23 May 2025
This pattern reflects a double standard — a desire for the intimacy and the support of a relationship without taking on the commitment or responsibility that comes with it.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Social media engagement is high but also reveals toxic comments and double standards.
—Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for double standard
Cite this Entry
“Double standard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20standard. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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