discriminatory
Americanadjective
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characterized by or showing prejudicial treatment, especially as an indication of bias related to age, race, skin color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, etc..
Discriminatory practices in housing historically led to racially segregated neighborhoods.
They passed a discriminatory tax mainly impacting immigrants to the country.
adjective
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based on or showing prejudice; biased
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capable of making fine distinctions
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(of a statistical test) unbiased
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discriminatory
First recorded in 1820–30; discriminate + -ory 1
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.
"The need to ensure their safety in the face of crime and violence, house demolitions, discriminatory policies and budget allocations are issues on which there is room for dialogue," he said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
“The bigger issue is that capital markets are becoming more discriminatory toward AI, particularly around anything reliant on external financing,” O’Regan said in a note to clients.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Hull City have been fined £30,000 over discriminatory chanting during their 4-0 FA Cup defeat by Chelsea in February.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“The Department takes allegations of discriminatory or biased conduct seriously,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Laws that said nothing about race operated to discriminate because those charged with enforcement were granted tremendous discretion, and they exercised that discretion in a highly discriminatory manner.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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