gender gap

American  

noun

1. the differences between women and men, especially as reflected in social, political, intellectual, cultural, or economic attainments or attitudes.

---

gender gap Cultural  

1. A phrase marking the trend in recent U.S. presidential elections, whereby more female than male voters support the Democratic party candidate and more male than female voters support the Republican party candidate.

---

gender gap Idioms  

1. A broad difference between men and women, as in There is still an enormous gender gap in the wages of unskilled labor. This expression at first referred to the difference between men and women in voting preferences. It has since been extended to other areas. [1970s]

---

Etymology

Origin of gender gap

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gender gap

“There is a real deep set commitment,” she said, assuring her audience that statistics show “young men are out-attending young women” and it’s “the widest gender gap in 25 years.”

From Salon ● May 4, 2026

As a result, the widening gender gap will shrink Gen Z’s dating pool, increasing singlehood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026

We see this gender gap in the votes, so this concerns me quite a lot: how to reach young men.

From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025

As health leaders and advocates gather to discuss what they describe as a "stark" gender gap, calls are growing for urgent action to tackle the inequality.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025

Census Bureau reported in 2002 that there are nearly 3 million more black adult women than men in black communities across the United States, a gender gap of 26 percent.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander