Skip to main content
double standard of sexual behavior

double standard of sexual behavior

7.2
A rule that lets men have more freedom about sex than women and judges them more harshly
  • noun
  • /ˈdʌbəl ˈstændərd əv ˈsɛkʃuəl bɪˈheɪvjər/
translation icon : doble moral sexual
  • Many films still portray a double standard of sexual behavior, judging women more harshly than men.

Examples

  • The double standard of sexual behavior has been challenged by feminist movements around the world.

  • Society's double standard of sexual behavior often impacts young people as they form their identities.

  • Many people criticize the double standard of sexual behavior in society.

  • The double standards of sexual behaviour often harm women's rights.

  • Many films still portray a double standard of sexual behavior, judging women more harshly than men.

  • Society's double standard of sexual behavior often impacts young people as they form their identities.

  • The double standard of sexual behavior has been challenged by feminist movements around the world.

Antonyms

293 2.2

People have the same rights, position, and opportunities

How Equal

equality
293 2.2
double standard of sexual behavior
7.2
sexual discrimination
  • Formal
2 4.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

double + standard + of + sexual + behavior

The phrase is largely compositional — a B1 learner who knows 'double', 'standard', 'sexual', and 'behavior' can infer that two different rules are being applied to sexual behavior. However, the specific social implication (that men are typically permitted greater freedom than women and the power dynamics involved) depends on cultural/pragmatic knowledge and is not fully predictable from the words alone, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Double standard of sexual behavior comes from the simple image of using double rules, where one standard is for men and a different one is for women. So, it refers to a social rule that 'allows more sexual freedom for men than for women'.