discrimination
Americannoun
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discriminations
plural
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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
Derived Forms
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nondiscriminationnoun
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prediscriminationnoun
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self-discriminationnoun
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antidiscriminationadjective
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discriminationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Virginia, Ginsburg’s opinion for the court explaining the Constitution’s guarantees against sex discrimination—which judges apply in cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as well.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
The same was true of the Supreme Court’s foundational sex discrimination cases, many of which were either litigated by Ginsburg when she was an attorney or eventually decided by her as a justice.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also made discrimination against U.S. workers an enforcement priority under chair Andrea Lucas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"Across government, we're also working with international partners, including the J7, to strengthen the global fight against antisemitism and stand up for Jewish communities wherever they face discrimination, abuse or violence," she added.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt.
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
Our legal system requires these fine discriminations in order to administer whatever passes for justice these days, and Wilson’s own godfather, Daryle Hallums, asked the black community to “stand down” while the crime is investigated.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2018
That is, gold is inflated by the discriminations which have been made in its favor.
From The Comstock Club by Goodwin, Charles Carroll
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.
