discrimination

[ dih-skrim-uh-ney-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act or instance of discriminating, or of making a distinction.
2. 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.

3. the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment:

   She chose the colors with great discrimination.

   Synonyms: perception, acumen, taste, discernment

4. Archaic. something that serves to differentiate.

discrimination

/ dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. unfair treatment of a person, racial group, minority, etc; action based on prejudice
2. subtle appreciation in matters of taste
3. the ability to see fine distinctions and differences
4. 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

Derived Forms

• disˌcrimiˈnational, adjective

Other Words From

• dis·crimi·nation·al adjective
• anti·dis·crimi·nation adjective
• nondis·crimi·nation noun
• predis·crimi·nation noun
• self-dis·crimi·nation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of discrimination¹

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

The FA rules note: "Gender reassignment is one of nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, and as such transsexual people are protected against discrimination."

From BBC

Interviews and regulatory records show that BaronHR and its affiliates have been the subject of at least three investigations involving discrimination or failure to pay workers assigned to dozens of job sites, including at TJX.

From New York Times

Drake called the antisemitism report “deeply troubling” and touted the university’s new systemwide office of civil rights that is dealing with discrimination across campuses.

From Los Angeles Times

Decades of caste discrimination have contributed to India having higher levels of child stunting rates than across Sub-Saharan Africa, new research has revealed.

From BBC

Olson sued on behalf of two gay couples, and Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that it was unconstitutional discrimination to deny them the right to marry.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bigotry
• favoritism
• hatred
• inequity
• injustice
• intolerance
• prejudice
• unfairness