discriminating
Americanadjective
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able to distinguish differences or distinctions; differentiating; analytic.
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noting differences or distinctions with nicety; discerning; perspicacious.
a discriminating interpreter of events.
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having excellent taste or judgment.
a discriminating interior designer.
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differential, as a tariff.
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possessing distinctive features; capable of being differentiated; discriminative.
adjective
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able to see fine distinctions and differences
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discerning in matters of taste
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(of a tariff, import duty, etc) levied at differential rates in order to favour or discourage imports or exports
Other Word Forms
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discriminatinglyadverb
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half-discriminatingadjective
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half-discriminatinglyadverb
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nondiscriminatingadjective
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nondiscriminatinglyadverb
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overdiscriminatingadjective
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overdiscriminatinglyadverb
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quasi-discriminatingadjective
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quasi-discriminatinglyadverb
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undiscriminatingadjective
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undiscriminatinglyadverb
Etymology
Origin of discriminating
First recorded in 1640–50; discriminat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Someone discriminating has fine-grained judgment and can tell, for example, the difference between pretty good cookies and incredibly great cookies — a valuable skill. There are many areas of life where being discriminating can help you. A discriminating TV watcher will only watch the best shows, while someone undiscriminating will watch anything that's on. When eating, being discriminating is especially useful: why eat food that's badly prepared or unhealthy if you don't have to? A discriminating person can pick up on the small differences between things and use those differences to make better choices. We should all try to be more discriminating.
Vocabulary lists containing discriminating
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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.
The chief justice declared that the way to end racial discrimination was to stop discriminating based on race.
From Salon • May 9, 2026
The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits commercial airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
Moscow accuses both countries of discriminating against Russian speakers.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
The South Korean embassy in Washington didn’t respond to requests for comment on the meeting, but Kim told South Korean media after his meeting that he told Vance his government isn’t discriminating against Coupang.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
The one quality they all have in common is an informed love of works of art—an attitude at once discriminating and enthusiastic that lends particular weight to their judgments.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
