discriminating

adjective

dis·​crim·​i·​nat·​ing di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ 

1

: making a distinction : distinguishing

a discriminating mark

2

: marked by discrimination:

a

: discerning, judicious

discriminating buyers

b

: discriminatory

accused of discriminating practices

discriminatingly

di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of discriminating

• discriminatory
• unfair

Examples of discriminating in a Sentence

accused of discriminating practices in the hiring of employees

a discriminating feature of poison ivy is a compound leaf with three mitten-shaped leaflets

Recent Examples on the Web

Salads and tropical fruits are served in wooden bowls, there are 10 different varieties of breads, and the charcuterie selection of meats and cheeses will impress even the most discriminating French guests. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026

While the monarch caterpillar will only eat milkweed, the gulf fritillary caterpillars are slightly less discriminating. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 15 Dec. 2025

Special effects were progressing with varying results, but intelligent storytelling was leading the charge as viewers became more discriminating. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Housing just 110 guests in 54 suites, Corinthian is selected by a discriminating guest list seeking an extraordinary experience aboard the largest sailing yacht in the world. —Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for discriminating

• accelerating
• accentuating
• accommodating
• accumulating
• adjudicating
• administrating
• affiliating
• agglutinating
• alienating
• alleviating
• amalgamating
• ameliorating

Kids Definition

discriminating

adjective

dis·​crim·​i·​nat·​ing

dis-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt-iŋ

1

: showing careful judgment : discerning

a discriminating taste

2

: discriminatory

discriminatingly adverb