prejudice
- an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
- any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
- unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding an ethnic, racial, social, or religious group.
- such attitudes considered collectively: The war against prejudice is never-ending.
- damage or injury; detriment: a law that operated to the prejudice of the majority.
- to affect with a prejudice, either favorable or unfavorable: His honesty and sincerity prejudiced us in his favor.
- without prejudice, Law. without dismissing, damaging, or otherwise affecting a legal interest or demand.
Origin of prejudice
Synonyms
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Related Words
discriminatorydogmaticone-sidedopinionatedbigotedintransigentintolerantracistxenophobicsexistbiasedblindinfluencedinclinedpredisposedleaningnarrowpreconceivedjaundicedclosed-mindedExamples from the Web for prejudiced
Contemporary Examples
Black people are tense because they are sick and tired of being subjected to what they see as a prejudiced judicial system.
Any person or group can be prejudiced against another group, for any reason and based on any characteristic.
But religion also compels us to fight the unjust, prejudiced systems that cause and perpetuate that misfortune.
His prejudiced views are simply not those a company like Mozilla wants to be associated with.
He was eloquent in defense of religious pluralism when asked about the prejudiced pastor who attacked his Mormon faith.
Historical Examples
Folks say I'm prejudiced against em; but it isn't so—I hate 'em.
Indeed, my dear mother, you have been prejudiced against her by false reports.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
If he's as prejudiced as all that, interfering would only make him worse.
Sure Pop and the Safety ScoutsRoy Rutherford Bailey
Too, I might truthfully be described as prejudiced about her perfections.
I suppose they've been talkin' to you and you've got sort of prejudiced.
Thankful's InheritanceJoseph C. Lincoln
prejudice
- an opinion formed beforehand, esp an unfavourable one based on inadequate facts
- the act or condition of holding such opinions
- intolerance of or dislike for people of a specific race, religion, etc
- disadvantage or injury resulting from prejudice
- to the prejudice of to the detriment of
- without prejudice law without dismissing or detracting from an existing right or claim
- to cause to be prejudiced
- to disadvantage or injure by prejudice
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for prejudiced
prejudice
n.
c.1300, "despite, contempt," from Old French prejudice "prejudice, damage" (13c.), from Medieval Latin prejudicium "injustice," from Latin praeiudicium "prior judgment," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + iudicium "judgment," from iudex (genitive iudicis) "a judge" (see judge (v.)). Meaning "injury, physical harm" is mid-14c., as is legal sense "detriment or damage caused by the violation of a legal right." Meaning "preconceived opinion" (especially but not necessarily unfavorable) is from late 14c. in English.
prejudice
v.
mid-15c., "to injure or be detrimental to," from prejudice (n.). The meaning "to affect or fill with prejudice" is from c.1600. Related: Prejudiced; prejudicing.
prejudice
A hostile opinion about some person or class of persons. Prejudice is socially learned and is usually grounded in misconception, misunderstanding, and inflexible generalizations. In particular, African-Americans have been victims of prejudice on a variety of social, economic, and political levels. (See civil rights movement and segregation.)