double standard

[ duhb-uhl stan-derd ]

noun

1. 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. Compare single standard ( def 1 ).
2. Economics. bimetallism.

double standard

noun

1. a set of principles that allows greater freedom to one person or group than to another

Word History and Origins

Origin of double standard¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Idioms and Phrases

A set of principles establishing different provisions for one group than another; also, specifically, allowing men more sexual freedom than women. For example, She complained that her father had a double standard—her brothers were allowed to date, but she was not, even though she was older . [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

She said police applied a “double standard” by being tougher with right-wing demonstrations than pro-Palestinian ones.

From BBC

The more committed Republicans I spoke with tended to dismiss those aspects of Trump’s rhetoric, blaming the media for a double standard and accusing prosecutors of pushing a political agenda.

From Los Angeles Times

Washington and its allies have been exposed for their double standards.

From Los Angeles Times

Bass said it was critical that the next chief address one of officers’ main gripes: the view that the department’s much-maligned disciplinary system has created a double standard for high-ranking officers.

From Los Angeles Times

The peer, who was Britain's first Muslim cabinet minister during David Cameron's premiership, accused the party of “hypocrisy and double standards in its treatment of different communities”.

From BBC