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
- antidiscrimination adjective
- discriminational adjective
- nondiscrimination noun
- prediscrimination noun
- self-discrimination noun
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”; discriminate ) + -ion ( def. )
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.
Indeed, any stated purposes appear unrelated to the Civil Rights Act’s aims of combating racial discrimination.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
It says the changes are intended to protect people facing "extreme and oppressive" discrimination and to prevent exploitation and trafficking.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Option B—no transparency required, but strict liability for any documented discrimination, with penalties calibrated to actual social cost.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
In addition, UC Berkeley said it would revamp an online nondiscrimination page to clarify that it considers an antisemitism definition promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance when evaluating discrimination complaints.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
In early July, Martin Luther King Jr., one of Johnson’s biggest allies in the struggle to end racial discrimination, spoke out against the war while addressing civil rights leaders in Virginia.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
