discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

intransitive verb

1

: to unfairly treat a person or group differently from other people or groups on a class or categorical basis (such as race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation)

to illegally/unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex/race/age

… the court ruled the ID law was intended to discriminate against voters of color …

—Laura Kusisto

2

a

: to make a distinction

… depression doesn't discriminate and can affect people from all walks of life.

—Nikki Brown

b

: to use good judgment

fostering an ability to discriminate

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 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

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 of discriminate

• 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

One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026

Under The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), airlines cannot discriminate against passengers because of their disability. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026

Ellison agreed that state agencies were discriminating against East African businesses. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026

There are many examples of lawsuits against universities by students and faculty who say they were discriminated against because of the protests. —CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

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 transitive 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