discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

transitive verb

1

a

: 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. Armstrong

b

: 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

1

a

: to make a distinction

discriminate among historical sources

discriminates between literary fiction and popular fiction

b

: 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

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 (meaning "to distinguish or differentiate"), which, itself, is derived from the verb discernere, meaning "to distinguish between." Discernere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix dis- (meaning "apart") 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.

Synonyms

• differentiate
• distinguish

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 on the Web

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that USA Powerlifting discriminated against a biological male transgender athlete by not allowing that athlete into a women's competition in 2018. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that USA Powerlifting discriminated against transgender athlete JayCee Cooper by barring her from competing in the women’s division. —Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025

In this lawsuit, the racial dynamic of the Ku Klux Klan Act was turned on its head, with the plaintiffs alleging that UCSD and the San Diego Foundation were illegally conspiring to unfairly favor Black students and discriminate against non-Black students. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025

Pretoria has been under pressure from the US, its second-biggest trade partner, to end laws that Washington says unjustly discriminate against the country’s white population. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin discriminatus, past participle of discriminare, from discrimin-, discrimen distinction, from discernere to distinguish between — more at discern

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for discriminate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids Definition

discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate dis-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

1

a

: to see the special features of

discriminate the geologic features of an area

b

: distinguish sense 1, differentiate

discriminate hundreds of colors

2

: to be able to tell the difference especially between similar things

discriminate between a tree and a bush

3

: to treat some people better than others without any fair or proper reason

discriminable

-ə-nə-bəl

adjective

Medical Definition

discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate dis-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

transitive verb

: to respond selectively to (a stimulus)

intransitive verb

: to respond selectively

the capacity of organisms to discriminate

—J. A. Swets

Legal Definition

discriminate

intransitive verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate dis-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt 

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

discrimination

dis-ˌkri-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun