prejudice
Americannoun
-
prejudices
plural
-
an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
-
any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
- Synonyms:
- predisposition, predilection, partiality, preconception
-
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.
verb (used with object)
-
prejudices,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prejudiced,
past participle, past
-
prejudicing
present participle
idioms
noun
-
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 detriment of
-
law without dismissing or detracting from an existing right or claim
verb
-
to cause to be prejudiced
-
to disadvantage or injure by prejudice
Usage
What does prejudice mean? Prejudice is a bias or a preconceived opinion, idea, or belief about something. When you act based on prejudice, you make up your mind about something and make generalizations about it before fully knowing about it. Though a prejudice can be positive, the word most often refers to unfair and strongly held negative judgments—especially hostile judgments about certain people. Prejudice can refer to a specific instance of such a belief, as in He clearly has a prejudice against people of color, or such beliefs collectively, as in We need to eliminate prejudice from society. Prejudice against people can be based on many parts of their identity, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender or gender identity, sexuality, and language. Such prejudices often create stereotypes about members of such groups. A common and widespread form of prejudice is racism, in which a person believes in the superiority of what they consider to be their own “race” over others. This most often takes the form of believing that those with other skin colors—especially darker skin colors—are inferior physically, intellectually, morally, and/or culturally, and mistreating and discriminating against them because of this. However, the word racism is often used to refer to more than just a prejudice or an active hatred but to a system of oppression based on such prejudice (often called systemic racism or institutional racism). Someone who has a prejudice against others can be described as prejudiced. Unfair treatment based on prejudice or causing prejudice can be described as prejudicial. Less commonly, the word prejudice can also be used as a verb meaning to cause to be prejudiced against someone or something, as in Bad press has prejudiced many voters against the candidate.
Synonym Usage
See bias.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
prejudicesimple
-
prejudicessimple
-
have prejudicedperfect
-
has prejudicedperfect
-
am prejudicingprogressive
-
are prejudicingprogressive
-
is prejudicingprogressive
-
have been prejudicingperfect progressive
-
has been prejudicingperfect progressive
Past
-
prejudicedsimple
-
had prejudicedperfect
-
was prejudicingprogressive
-
were prejudicingprogressive
-
had been prejudicingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prejudice
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praejūdicium “prejudgment,” originally “preliminary or previous judicial inquiry,” equivalent to prae- pre- + jūdicium “legal proceedings, judging” ( jūdic-, stem of jūdex judge + -ium -ium )
Explanation
If you have a negative attitude towards someone based on race or ethnicity rather than personal experience, you might be accused of prejudice. Prejudice is remarkably similar to its Latin root in form and meaning; the Latin praejudicium means "judgment in advance." A racial prejudice is a negative attitude towards a group of people based on race — not on direct knowledge or experience. If you prejudice someone, you cause them to have a negative attitude towards someone else. Lawyers are not allowed to bring certain types of evidence such as rumors into a trial because it might prejudice the jury.
Vocabulary lists containing prejudice
Power Prefix: pre-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Sly and the Family Stone’s message of overcoming prejudice and treating everyone with dignity, including ourselves, matches their steadfast dedication to making all their fans feel loved, especially children.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Phukan declined to comment on Doley's detention, saying: "We do not wish to make any observation... that could prejudice the investigation or judicial proceedings" and added that the administration remained "extremely sensitive" to local concerns.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The legal documents show that Pisciotta requested her case be dismissed with prejudice, meaning her complaint cannot be refiled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Rice and beans are as much a staple as back home, and migrants say they encounter less prejudice than relatives in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Indeed, a faint hypnopaedic prejudice in favour of size was universal.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Unyoked from racial prejudices and prohibitions, Eston’s progeny prospered.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
All teams are defined, to some measure, on the preferences and prejudices of their managers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The photo remains a bellwether even today, revealing more about the yearnings and prejudices of its viewers than about the subject herself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Aa a pop star with 10 years of hits under her belt, she says big artists need to shed their prejudices about Eurovision.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
In the case of the Treason Trial, the three judges rose above their prejudices, their education, and their background.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Helder Barbalho, the governor of the state of Para, where Belem is located, slammed "the prejudiced" comments on the X social network.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
“We’re all prejudiced against one thing or another,” Deen continues.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2025
The judge found the special prosecutor and Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies had concealed evidence from Baldwin’s legal team, which the judge said prejudiced the case against Baldwin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2025
Ebony, meanwhile, hopes that people watching the documentary learn more about the GRT community and aren't so prejudiced towards them.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2025
“You know, I never thought much about black people before I got into the army. I don’t think I was prejudiced or anything — I just didn’t think much about black people.”
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
The effective double trial led each executive to produce more damaging claims about the other, thus prejudicing the jury against the defendants, the lawyers said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
More documents are due to be published in the future but the Metropolitan Police has asked for some to be held back to avoid prejudicing the ongoing criminal investigation into Lord Mandelson.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
“Plaintiffs’ concealment of their identities is prejudicing the Robinsons’ defense,” the motion alleges.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
He went on to say: "Those incidents are now subject to an insurance claim and I can give no further details without prejudicing that insurance claims at this time I'm afraid."
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2025
These scurrilous sheets have tried this young man in their columns and found him guilty, thus prejudicing the whole community against him before he comes to trial.
From The Third Degree A Narrative of Metropolitan Life by Charles Klein
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.
