discrimination

American  

[dih-skrim-uh-ney-shuhn] / dɪˌskrɪm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

discriminations plural

1. an act or instance of discriminating, or of making a distinction.

2. treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.

   racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

3. the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment.

   She chose the colors with great discrimination.

   Synonyms:

   perception, acumen, taste, discernment

4. Archaic. something that serves to differentiate.

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discrimination British  

/ dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. unfair treatment of a person, racial group, minority, etc; action based on prejudice

2. subtle appreciation in matters of taste

3. the ability to see fine distinctions and differences

4. electronics the selection of a signal having a particular frequency, amplitude, phase, etc, effected by the elimination of other signals by means of a discriminator

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondiscrimination
  noun
• prediscrimination
  noun
• self-discrimination
  noun
• antidiscrimination
  adjective
• discriminational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• discriminations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of discrimination

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin discrīminātiōn-, stem of discrīminātiō “division, separation,” literally “a dividing,” equivalent to discrīmināt(us) “separated” (past participle of discrīmināre “to divide up, separate”; see discriminate) + -ion ( def. )

Explanation

Discrimination means distinguishing between two or more people or things. Usually, discrimination means an unfair system that treats one group of people worse than another. Discrimination isn't always a bad thing. You have to use discrimination to tell a good restaurant from a bad one, or a good idea from a bad one. However, this word is very tarnished by its main use these days: as a word for unfair treatment of people, based on racism, sexism, homophobia, or another prejudice. There is a huge history of discrimination in the United States.

Example Sentences

On moms.gov, there is no mention of paid maternity leave — or programs like Family and Medical Leave Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, or the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

Discrimination has long been illegal in California schools.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2025

In 2007, he sponsored the End Discrimination Now Act, which would have ended workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

A 2021 report issued by the Equal Justice Initiative titled “Race and the Jury: Illegal Discrimination in Jury Selection” included a sidebar exploring the history of gender-based jury exclusion.

From Slate • Aug. 25, 2025

Gordon’s Skill Learning Sequence is based on two main categories of learning: Discrimination and Inference.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• bigotry
• favoritism
• hatred
• inequity
• injustice
• intolerance
• prejudice
• unfairness