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discriminatory

adjective

dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry di-ˈskri-mə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˈskrim-nə-
1
2
: applying or favoring discrimination in treatment
discriminatorily adverb

Examples of discriminatory in a Sentence

The law prohibits discriminatory hiring practices. a company that was fined for its discriminatory practices in the hiring of women
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.
Far from being necessary, these purported 'reviews' and 'reinterviews' are a pretext for the administration’s broader unjust and discriminatory objectives. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025 The Texas effort was held up this week when a federal judge ruled that those maps were racially discriminatory. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025 Both countries will agree to abolish all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education. Mariam Khan, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2025 The article sought to call attention to the unfairness of a discriminatory policy that targeted service members but was not equally applied to civilian employees in positions of power. Michael Collins, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discriminatory

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discriminatory was in 1745

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discriminatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discriminatory. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

discriminatory

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry dis-ˈkrim-(ə-)nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
: showing discrimination : being unfair
discriminatory treatment

Legal Definition

discriminatory

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry dis-ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
1
: applying discrimination in treatment
2
: having unlawful discrimination as an effect
discriminatorily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on discriminatory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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