Definition of discriminate
discriminated
;discriminating
transitive verb
1a : to mark or perceive the distinguishing or peculiar features of Depth perception may be defined as the ability to appreciate or discriminate the third dimension … — H. G. Armstrongb : distinguish, differentiate discriminate hundreds of colors
2 : to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences : to recognize or identify as separate and distinct discriminate right from wrong; especially : to distinguish from another like object discriminate the individual voices in the choir
intransitive verb
1a : to make a distinction discriminate among historical sources discriminates between literary fiction and popular fictionb : to use good judgment
2 : to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit discriminate in favor of your friends discriminate against a certain nationality
From the M-W Editors
discriminate was our Word of the Day on 11/04/2011. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of discriminate in a Sentence
The school is not allowed to discriminate.
the human eye can discriminate between very slight gradations of color
Recent Examples of discriminate from the Web
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The Saudis are much less discriminating about these things.
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MLB umpire Angel Hernandez has filed a lawsuit against the league and commissioner Rob Manfred alleging the league discriminates against minority umpires, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
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The lawsuit alleges that the park expressly discriminated against Snelling because of his creationist beliefs and by doing so violated Snelling's constitutional rights and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
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In 2014, then-President Obama signed an executive order that prevented the federal government from contracting with companies that discriminate against employees because of their sexuality or gender identity.
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That suggests that the real world is just as bad at discriminating quality as the simulated network.
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Mental illness doesn't discriminate by class, gender or race, and their stories deserve to be explored as well.
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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond agreed with U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang in Maryland, who sided with opponents in finding that the ban violates the Constitution by intentionally discriminating against Muslims.
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To members and allies of the LGBT college community, this sounded like a signal that under DeVos, the Department of Education may decline to use its ability to withhold federal funding from private colleges that discriminate against LGBT students.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discriminate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Although many methods or motives for discriminating are unfair and undesirable (or even illegal), the verb itself has a neutral history. English speakers borrowed it from the past participle of the Latin verb discriminare, itself from the verb discernere, meaning "to distinguish between." "Discernere," in turn, was formed by combining the prefix dis- and cernere ("to sift"). Other descendants of "discernere" include "discern" and "discernible" (as you no doubt guessed), "discreet," and "indiscretion." In addition, the root "cernere" gives us "concern," "certain," "decree," and even "secret."
Origin and Etymology of discriminate
Latin discriminatus, past participle of discriminare, from discrimin-, discrimen distinction, from discernere to distinguish between — more at discern
DISCRIMINATE Defined for English Language Learners
discriminate
playDefinition of discriminate for English Language Learners
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: to unfairly treat a person or group of people differently from other people or groups
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: to notice and understand that one thing is different from another thing : to recognize a difference between things
DISCRIMINATE Defined for Kids
discriminate
playDefinition of discriminate for Students
discriminated
;discriminating
1 : to unfairly treat a person or group differently from other people or groups It is against the law to discriminate on the basis of race.
2 : to be able to tell the difference between things He can discriminate among the birds by their calls.
Medical Dictionary
discriminate
playMedical Definition of discriminate
discriminated
;discriminating
transitive verb
: to respond selectively to (a stimulus)intransitive verb
: to respond selectively the capacity of organisms to discriminate—J. A. Swets
Law Dictionary
discriminate
playLegal Definition of discriminate
discriminated
discriminating
: to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit; especially : to make a difference in treatment on a basis prohibited by law (as national origin, race, sex, religion, age, or disability) — see also bona fide occupational qualification, equal protection, reverse discrimination, suspect class, Civil Rights Act of 1964
Learn More about discriminate
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See words that rhyme with discriminate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for discriminate Spanish Central: Translation of discriminate Nglish: Translation of discriminate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of discriminate for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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