discrimination

American  

[dih-skrim-uh-nay-shuhn] / dɪˌskrɪm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

• discriminations
  plural

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

2. 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.

3. the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment.

   She chose the colors with great discrimination.

   Synonyms:

   perception, acumen, taste, discernment

4. Archaic. something that serves to differentiate.

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discrimination British  

/ dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

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

2. subtle appreciation in matters of taste

3. the ability to see fine distinctions and differences

4. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondiscrimination
  noun
• prediscrimination
  noun
• self-discrimination
  noun
• antidiscrimination
  adjective
• discriminational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• discriminations
  plural

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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. )

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

discrimination discriminations

Controversial French writer Michel Houellebecq was placed under formal investigation on Tuesday on suspicion of complicity in incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence, a source close to the case told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026

It also said bosses should be required to respond to questionnaires about colleagues' pay to cut pay discrimination.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor also pushed back against the idea that enforcing antidiscrimination laws against recipients of state funds is itself discrimination.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

Bay Area cities Berkeley and Oakland outlaw discrimination based on family structure, and Oregon cities Portland and Astoria, as well as Olympia, Wash., advanced similar polyamorous relationship protections earlier this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

The fact that a clear majority of Americans were telling pollsters in the early 1980s—when the drug war was kicking off—that they opposed race discrimination in nearly all its forms should not be dismissed lightly.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

The #MeToo movement in 2017 increased awareness of the subtle - and the not so subtle - discriminations women face at work.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2024

Italy’s watchdog added that the measures imposed aimed at avoiding discriminations and granting efficiency to any potential new players in the sector.

From Reuters ● Oct. 14, 2021

However, as of mid-August, only 28% of young Black New York City residents are vaccinated, often rooted in distrust of government or current discriminations.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 22, 2021

But making discriminations isn’t always discriminatory, and it isn’t a knockdown argument against a rule to say that it excludes good candidates and includes bad ones.

From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2018

The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must also exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.

From The Greater Republic A History of the United States by Charles Morris

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Related Words

• bigotry
• favoritism
• hatred
• inequity
• injustice
• intolerance
• prejudice
• unfairness

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