discrimination

[ dih-skrim-uh-ney-shuhn ]

/ dɪˌskrɪm əˈneɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discrimination ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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.

the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment: She chose the colors with great discrimination.

Archaic. something that serves to differentiate.

Nearby words

discriminable, discriminant, discriminant function, discriminate, discriminating, discrimination, discrimination learning, discriminative, discriminator, discriminatory, discrown

Origin of discrimination

1640–50; < Latin discrīminātiōn- (stem of discrīminātiō) a distinguishing. See discriminate, -ion

SYNONYMS FOR discrimination

3 discernment, taste, acumen, perception.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR discrimination ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

dis·crim·i·na·tion·al, adjectivean·ti·dis·crim·i·na·tion, adjectivenon·dis·crim·i·na·tion, nounpre·dis·crim·i·na·tion, noun

self-dis·crim·i·na·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for discrimination

In Scandinavian countries this discrimination has been dramatically reduced.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But most of this gap, say the researchers who carried out the study, is due to discrimination.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After the Iranian Revolution, discrimination took on a sectarian flavor.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Allowing some people to discriminate sends the message that discrimination is okay.
Do LGBTs Owe Christians an Olive Branch? Try The Other Way Around|Jay Michaelson|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Can you be a victim of discrimination if no one knows you are?
The Outrageous Celibacy Requirement for Gay Blood Donors|Jay Michaelson|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is an expression of the character, the nicety of taste—or lack of it—the discrimination and judgment of the individual.
Handicraft for Girls|Idabelle McGlauflin
Without this there can be no detection of the real difference, and no assurance of the rectitude of the discrimination we make.
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Philippians|Robert Rainy
She had great power of discrimination, and seldom failed in her estimate of character.
The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism|A. Leah Underhill
Now, just the discrimination to be looked for where God legislates, is marked in the original.
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus|American Anti-Slavery Society
If the withdrawal did not remove the discrimination against St Cloud it would not at all events aggravate it.
Railroads: Rates and Regulations|William Z. Ripley

British Dictionary definitions for discrimination

discrimination

/ (dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃən) /

noun

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

subtle appreciation in matters of taste

the ability to see fine distinctions and differences

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

Derived Forms

discriminational, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012