gender gap

American  

noun

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

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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.

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of gender gap

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

When the signals shift, the gender gap in golf begins to close.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Having written reports on the Isa gender gap, she argues that, for too long, advertising about investing has been designed by men.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2025

"In 2024, the gender gap among 18 to 29-year-olds widened to 17 points," the report explains.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2025

And there’s no question that the youth gender gap is pronounced, according to Catalist—young women’s support for Harris was almost 17 percentage points higher than that of young men.

From Slate • May 22, 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