discriminate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
discriminates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
discriminated,
past participle, past
-
discriminating
present participle
-
to make a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group, class, or category to which the person or thing belongs rather than according to actual merit; show partiality.
The new law discriminates against foreigners. He discriminates in favor of his relatives.
-
to note or observe a difference; distinguish accurately.
to discriminate between things.
verb (used with object)
-
discriminates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
discriminated,
past participle, past
-
discriminating
present participle
-
to make or constitute a distinction in or between; differentiate.
a mark that discriminates the original from the copy.
-
to note or distinguish as different.
He can discriminate minute variations in tone.
adjective
verb
-
(intr; usually foll by in favour of or against) to single out a particular person, group, etc, for special favour or, esp, disfavour, often because of a characteristic such as race, colour, sex, intelligence, etc
-
to recognize or understand the difference (between); distinguish
to discriminate right and wrong
to discriminate between right and wrong
-
(intr) to constitute or mark a difference
-
(intr) to be discerning in matters of taste
adjective
Synonym Usage
See distinguish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
discriminatornoun
-
prediscriminateverb (used with object)
-
half-discriminatedadjective
-
undiscriminatedadjective
-
discriminatelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
discriminatesimple
-
discriminatessimple
-
have discriminatedperfect
-
has discriminatedperfect
-
am discriminatingprogressive
-
are discriminatingprogressive
-
is discriminatingprogressive
-
have been discriminatingperfect progressive
-
has been discriminatingperfect progressive
Past
-
discriminatedsimple
-
had discriminatedperfect
-
was discriminatingprogressive
-
were discriminatingprogressive
-
had been discriminatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of discriminate
First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin discrīminātus “separated,” past participle of discrīmināre “to separate”; see discriminant
Explanation
When you discriminate between two things, you can tell the difference between them and can tell them apart. The ability to discriminate between similar objects is important. For example, if you want to be a good root farmer, it helps if you can discriminate between a turnip and a parsnip. However, some people take it too far and discriminate against other people, treating them differently based on their physical characteristics or abilities. To be able to discriminate between a turnip and a radish is good, but to discriminate against people is not.
Vocabulary lists containing discriminate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Dear Martin
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933–2020) Tribute List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
If there was a minor traffic infraction or other probable cause to make a stop, proving their motive requires them to confess to acting with intent to discriminate, Willis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mulan Build "sends a message: if these platforms choose to discriminate against us, we do not need to rely on them", she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
"These subjects did not discriminate on who they hated."
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
“They didn’t have the bandwidth to discriminate among them,” Kraemer said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
But I was pleased: finally I had a job, a job with a company that professed not to discriminate on the basis of colour or race.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
The pair are part of a group of around 40 veterans who have been rejected for the payment, and say the scheme's criteria unfairly discriminates against lower-ranking veterans who felt forced out of the military.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the court’s three liberal justices, said the Idaho law discriminates against people based on their sex or gender identity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Roberts attempted to sidestep this problem by claiming that Tennessee’s law only discriminates on the basis of age and “medical use.”
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2025
District Judge David O. Carter wrote that the outsourcing “facially discriminates against veterans based on their disabilities.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2024
The solecisms, barbarisms, false statement, and extravagant bombast, are not felt for awhile, because the cabal and the senseless enthusiasm of the vulgar produce an intoxication which discriminates in nothing.
From A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10) From "The Works of Voltaire - A Contemporary Version" by Fran?ois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Indonesia's immigration authorities have banned two Dutch nationals for organising an illegal running event that had also allegedly discriminated against locals.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Grover lodged an appeal against that verdict, but on Friday, the Federal Court dismissed it and further found that Tickle was directly - rather than indirectly - discriminated against by Grover.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
The Justice Department sued Cloudera, alleging the software company discriminated against U.S. workers in favor of temporary visa applicants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
At the time, Snyder wrote she was “constrained” to block the mask ban because of a last-minute carve-out exempting state police, finding it discriminated against the federal government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
It also forbade the use of federal funds for anything that discriminated against anyone, and authorized the federal government to enforce the integration of schools and penalize schools that didn’t comply.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
District Judge Fernando M. Olguin granted the city’s motion to dismiss the complaint, which alleged that the city ordinance violates the intergovernmental immunity doctrine by regulating and discriminating against the federal government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
The chief justice declared that the way to end racial discrimination was to stop discriminating based on race.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race,” he declared in a simplistic tautology, “is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
Moscow accuses both countries of discriminating against Russian speakers.
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
“Are you discriminating against snakes and turtles? Do they not need loving, caring forever homes?”
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
