discriminating

adjective

dis·​crim·​i·​nat·​ing di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ How to pronounce discriminating (audio)
1
: making a distinction : distinguishing
a discriminating mark
2
: marked by discrimination:
a
: discerning, judicious
discriminating buyers
b
: discriminatory
accused of discriminating practices
discriminatingly adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Insurers, alerted to the problem and granted permission to respond, grew more discriminating in their underwriting and more probing in their investigations. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 Turning Selectivity Into Strategy A range of more discriminating strategies have been explored, including tweaking the shape and timing of electrical pulses and using multi-contact electrodes to maneuver currents in specific directions. IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for discriminating

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discriminating was in 1642

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Cite this Entry

“Discriminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discriminating. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

discriminating

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​nat·​ing
dis-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt-iŋ
1
: showing careful judgment : discerning
a discriminating taste
2
discriminatingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on discriminating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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