discriminatory

adjective

dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry di-ˈskri-mə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˈskrim-nə-
1
2
: applying or favoring discrimination in treatment
discriminatorily adverb

Examples of discriminatory in a Sentence

The law prohibits discriminatory hiring practices. a company that was fined for its discriminatory practices in the hiring of women
Recent Examples on the Web According to a coalition of civil-rights and advocacy organizations that support Palestinian rights, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Palestine Legal, policing such expression is itself discriminatory. Eyal Press, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024 Some states argue affirmative action is discriminatory, and a few pursue bans in various forms. Emma Kumer, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced a year ago, on International Women’s Day 2023, that the government would hold a referendum to enshrine gender equality and remove discriminatory language from the constitution. Michael Kealy and Jill Lawless, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024 Last year, 13 Republican Attorneys General wrote letters to Fortune 100 companies warning them that several of their efforts to boost diversity are discriminatory. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Musk further argued Gemini’s discriminatory issues extend to Google search and reshared a claim from right-wing commentator Tim Pool claiming Google is rigging the 2024 presidential election in favor of left-wing candidates. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 While ‘Mary Poppins’ has a historical context, the use of discriminatory language is not condemned, and ultimately exceeds our guidelines for acceptable language at U. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 According to democracy watchdog Freedom House, in India, Modi’s government has pursued discriminatory policies against the Muslim minority of about 200 million people. Ahmet T. Kuru, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 The impact of eugenics can be seen not only in the genocides of the 20th century but also, for example, in discriminatory immigration practices and involuntary sterilization laws. Journal Sentinel, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discriminatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discriminatory was in 1745

Dictionary Entries Near discriminatory

Cite this Entry

“Discriminatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discriminatory. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

discriminatory

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry dis-ˈkrim-(ə-)nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
: showing discrimination : being unfair
discriminatory treatment

Legal Definition

discriminatory

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry dis-ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
1
: applying discrimination in treatment
2
: having unlawful discrimination as an effect
discriminatorily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on discriminatory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!