prejudice
Americannoun
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an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
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any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
- Synonyms:
- predisposition, predilection, partiality, preconception
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unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding an ethnic, racial, social, or religious group.
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such attitudes considered collectively.
The war against prejudice is never-ending.
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damage or injury; detriment.
a law that operated to the prejudice of the majority.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
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an opinion formed beforehand, esp an unfavourable one based on inadequate facts
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the act or condition of holding such opinions
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intolerance of or dislike for people of a specific race, religion, etc
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disadvantage or injury resulting from prejudice
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to the detriment of
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law without dismissing or detracting from an existing right or claim
verb
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to cause to be prejudiced
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to disadvantage or injure by prejudice
Usage
What does prejudice mean? Prejudice is a bias or a preconceived opinion, idea, or belief about something. When you act based on prejudice, you make up your mind about something and make generalizations about it before fully knowing about it. Though a prejudice can be positive, the word most often refers to unfair and strongly held negative judgments—especially hostile judgments about certain people. Prejudice can refer to a specific instance of such a belief, as in He clearly has a prejudice against people of color, or such beliefs collectively, as in We need to eliminate prejudice from society. Prejudice against people can be based on many parts of their identity, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender or gender identity, sexuality, and language. Such prejudices often create stereotypes about members of such groups. A common and widespread form of prejudice is racism, in which a person believes in the superiority of what they consider to be their own “race” over others. This most often takes the form of believing that those with other skin colors—especially darker skin colors—are inferior physically, intellectually, morally, and/or culturally, and mistreating and discriminating against them because of this. However, the word racism is often used to refer to more than just a prejudice or an active hatred but to a system of oppression based on such prejudice (often called systemic racism or institutional racism). Someone who has a prejudice against others can be described as prejudiced. Unfair treatment based on prejudice or causing prejudice can be described as prejudicial. Less commonly, the word prejudice can also be used as a verb meaning to cause to be prejudiced against someone or something, as in Bad press has prejudiced many voters against the candidate.
Synonym Usage
See bias.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has prejudicedperfect 3rd person singular
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have prejudicedperfect
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have been prejudicingperfect progressive
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is prejudicingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am prejudicingprogressive 1st person singular
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are prejudicingprogressive
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prejudicessingular 3rd person
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has been prejudicingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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prejudicingparticiple
Past
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had prejudicedperfect
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were prejudicingprogressive plural
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had been prejudicingperfect progressive
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was prejudicingprogressive singular
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prejudicedparticiple
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prejudicedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of prejudice
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praejūdicium “prejudgment,” originally “preliminary or previous judicial inquiry,” equivalent to prae- pre- + jūdicium “legal proceedings, judging” ( jūdic-, stem of jūdex judge + -ium -ium )
Explanation
If you have a negative attitude towards someone based on race or ethnicity rather than personal experience, you might be accused of prejudice. Prejudice is remarkably similar to its Latin root in form and meaning; the Latin praejudicium means "judgment in advance." A racial prejudice is a negative attitude towards a group of people based on race — not on direct knowledge or experience. If you prejudice someone, you cause them to have a negative attitude towards someone else. Lawyers are not allowed to bring certain types of evidence such as rumors into a trial because it might prejudice the jury.
Vocabulary lists containing prejudice
Power Prefix: pre-
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You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus
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List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is a serious debate to be had about whether fears of causing offence or being accused of prejudice alters behaviour, particularly in the public services on which we all rely.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
You can take them under advisement without fear or prejudice.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
In light of these violations, the U.S. attorney moved to drop all the charges, and Judge Perry dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it can’t be brought again.
From Slate • May 22, 2026
The judge found prosecutors’ arguments were legal theories, not solid law, dismissing eight counts with prejudice.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The terms could seem impolite to an outsider, but they reflected Farmer’s sense of humor, his quick mind, and his prejudice for brevity.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
