discrimination

noun

dis·crim·i·na·tion | \ dis-ˌkri-mə-ˈnā-shən

Definition of discrimination

1a : prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment racial discrimination

b : the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually

2 : the quality or power of finely distinguishing the film viewed by those with discrimination

3a : the act of making or perceiving a difference : the act of discriminating a bloodhound's scent discrimination

b psychology : the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently

Other Words from discrimination Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Discriminating Among Meanings of Discrimination More Example Sentences Learn More about discrimination

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Choose the Right Synonym for discrimination

discernment, discrimination, perception, penetration, insight, acumen mean a power to see what is not evident to the average mind. discernment stresses accuracy (as in reading character or motives or appreciating art). the discernment to know true friends discrimination stresses the power to distinguish and select what is true or appropriate or excellent. the discrimination that develops through listening to a lot of great music perception implies quick and often sympathetic discernment (as of shades of feeling). a novelist of keen perception into human motives penetration implies a searching mind that goes beyond what is obvious or superficial. lacks the penetration to see the scorn beneath their friendly smiles insight suggests depth of discernment coupled with understanding sympathy. a documentary providing insight into the plight of the homeless acumen implies characteristic penetration combined with keen practical judgment. a director of reliable box-office acumen

Discriminating Among Meanings of Discrimination

Discrimination has senses with neutral, positive, and negative connotations. On the one hand, it can refer to "the act (or power) of distinguishing" or to "good taste, refinement." These meanings, sometimes reinforced with modifiers (as in a fine or a nice discrimination), stress an ability to perceive differences as an index of unusual intelligence. On the other hand, when the perception of difference is marked by invidious distinction or hostility, the word (often followed by against) takes on very negative overtones, as in the senses "act of discriminating categorically rather than individually" (discrimination against women, age discrimination) and "a prejudiced outlook or course of action" (racial discrimination). The original, neutral sense of discrimination, "the act of distinguishing," came into English by the early 17th century, followed by the positive one associated with superior discernment in the 18th century. Discrimination in the "prejudice" sense has been in use since the early 19th century, almost 200 years ago.

Examples of discrimination in a Sentence

The law prohibits discrimination in hiring. He sued the company for age discrimination. the animal's impressive scent discrimination

Recent Examples on the Web

In early December, however, Bloomberg Law reported that a former Ross Dress for Less manager in Houston, who is black, was suing the company for age and racial discrimination. — Nadra Nittle, Vox, "Bantu knots are the latest natural hairstyle at the center of a workplace dispute," 20 Dec. 2018 Uber launched an internal investigation after anonymous whistleblowers claimed that Liane Hornsey, the company’s chief people officer, had systematically dismissed allegations of racial discrimination, Reuters first reported. — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Senate rebuke of Trump tariffs won't actually change anything," 12 July 2018 Uber launched an internal investigation after anonymous whistleblowers alleged that Hornsey, the company's chief people officer, had systematically dismissed allegations of racial discrimination, Reuters first reported, which led to her resignation. — Hamza Shaban And Jena Mcgregor, latimes.com, "Uber's HR chief resigns, reportedly after discrimination investigation," 11 July 2018 In response, some formulated a muddled theory of racial discrimination specific only to black men and not women. — The Economist, "The wage gap between white and black men is growing wider," 5 July 2018 This caused Lyles to report racial discrimination to human resources. — Aaron Reiss, kansascity, "Former Mizzou assistant track and field coach sues for racial discrimination," 28 June 2018 That’s not a problem with racial discrimination in redistricting. — Cristian Farias, Daily Intelligencer, "The Supreme Court Continues to Chip Away at Protections for Minority Voters," 25 June 2018 Bank of America has also been fined, as recently as March 2018, for racial discrimination in its hiring and lending practices. — Kia Gregory, The New Republic, "Can divesting from America’s big financial institutions help fix racial inequality?," 31 May 2018 Elon Musk was aware of at least two different instances of discrimination at the factory. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "Black Tesla factory workers describe racism and discrimination, NYT reports," 30 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discrimination.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

24 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for discrimination

The first known use of discrimination was in 1621

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More Definitions for discrimination

discrimination

noun

English Language Learners Definition of discrimination

: the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people

: the ability to recognize the difference between things that are of good quality and those that are not

: the ability to understand that one thing is different from another thing

See the full definition for discrimination in the English Language Learners Dictionary

discrimination

noun

dis·crim·i·na·tion | \ di-ˌskri-mə-ˈnā-shən

Kids Definition of discrimination

1 : the practice of unfairly treating a person or group differently from other people or groups of people The law prohibits discrimination against the disabled.

2 : the ability to see differences Police use a dog's discrimination of smells.