discrimination
Americannoun
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an act or instance of discriminating, or of making a distinction.
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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.
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the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment.
She chose the colors with great discrimination.
- Synonyms:
- perception, acumen, taste, discernment
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Archaic. something that serves to differentiate.
noun
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unfair treatment of a person, racial group, minority, etc; action based on prejudice
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subtle appreciation in matters of taste
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the ability to see fine distinctions and differences
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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
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing discrimination
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"On Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony
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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.
A study that same year found a decline in academic research focused on identity and discrimination.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
These all concern the prevention of sexual or racial discrimination in areas like employment and access to services.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
“Hatred has no place here, and I will continue to fight against all forms of discrimination, including the racial profiling and scapegoating of Chinese Americans,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
As well as aiding the Allied fight against fascism, Baker was a leading voice against racial discrimination in her homeland, and spoke alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the 1963 march on Washington.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Auditory discrimination exercises work the child’s ability to hear differences in sound in order to organize and make sense of sound.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
