discriminating

[ dih-skrim-uh-ney-ting ]

adjective

1. able to distinguish differences or distinctions; differentiating; analytic.
2. noting differences or distinctions with nicety; discerning; perspicacious:

   a discriminating interpreter of events.

3. having excellent taste or judgment:

   a discriminating interior designer.

4. differential, as a tariff.
5. possessing distinctive features; capable of being differentiated; discriminative.

discriminating

/ dɪˈskrɪmɪˌneɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. able to see fine distinctions and differences
2. discerning in matters of taste
3. (of a tariff, import duty, etc) levied at differential rates in order to favour or discourage imports or exports

Derived Forms

• disˈcrimiˌnatingly, adverb

Other Words From

• dis·crimi·nating·ly adverb
• half-dis·crimi·nating adjective
• half-dis·crimi·nating·ly adverb
• nondis·crimi·nating adjective
• nondis·crimi·nating·ly adverb
• over·dis·crimi·nating adjective
• over·dis·crimi·nating·ly adverb
• quasi-dis·crimi·nating adjective
• quasi-dis·crimi·nating·ly adverb
• undis·crimi·nating adjective
• undis·crimi·nating·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of discriminating¹

First recorded in 1640–50; discriminat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

California civil rights laws prohibit employers from discriminating against its employees based on their national origin, race or ethnicity, according to the Civil Rights Department.

From Los Angeles Times

He wrote in his Shelby County decision, which eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, that “the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

From Salon

In 1973, the Department of Justice sued the Trump company, then known as Trump Management Inc., under the Fair Housing Act for discriminating on the basis of race against Black people.

From Salon

While the Constitution forbids states and public agencies from discriminating based on race or sex, the court has not said whether this antidiscrimination rule extends to gender identity.

From Los Angeles Times

As a landlord in the 1970s, Trump settled a Justice Department lawsuit in New York that accused his family’s company of discriminating against Black tenants.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• astute
• choosy
• discerning
• eclectic
• fastidious
• finicky
• fussy
• refined
• selective