discriminator

[ dih-skrim-uh-ney-ter ]

noun

1. a person or thing that discriminates.
2. Electronics. a circuit in which the output is a function of some variation of an input signal from a fixed characteristic.

discriminator

/ dɪˈskrɪmɪˌneɪtə /

noun

1. an electronic circuit that converts a frequency or phase modulation into an amplitude modulation for subsequent demodulation
2. an electronic circuit that has an output voltage only when the amplitude of the input pulses exceeds a predetermined value

Word History and Origins

Origin of discriminator¹

From Late Latin, dating back to 1820–30; discriminate, -tor

Example Sentences

We need accountability for harm-doers, like sexual harassers and direct discriminators.

From Time

The generator then creates images from, essentially, nothing—data noise—and then passes them to the discriminator network.

From Nautilus

At first the generator creates formless blobs that are rejected by the discriminator.

From Nautilus

As the cycle is repeated over and over, the generator gets better at creating realistic images, while the discriminator gets better at picking out the fake ones.

From Singularity Hub 

“At some point or another, it’s not much of a discriminator anymore if you define a co-morbidity as something that almost everybody has,” Kass said.

From Washington Post

And the tenderness of this relation has not escaped vox populi, that keen discriminator.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a great discriminator of character, and sifts men like wheat.

From Project Gutenberg

Bulwer seemed to her, also, “a far more profound discriminator of character” than Scott.

From Project Gutenberg

Ben thought they were palms; but Ben was wrong again, for he was no great discriminator of genus or species.

From Project Gutenberg

For Justice, though a late, is yet a scrupulous and unerring discriminator between right and wrong.

From Project Gutenberg