discriminatory
adjective
dis·crim·i·na·to·ry
di-ˈskri-mə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē 
-ˈskrim-nə-
2
: applying or favoring discrimination in treatment
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
County officials have said in the past that to deny an airline’s contract could be considered discriminatory by the Federal Aviation Administration, which provides more than 90% of the funding for capital improvements at the county’s airports.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
Three years later, in 2023, the task force produced a 1,060-page report that catalogued California’s discriminatory treatment of Black people after its 1850 admission as a state that officially prohibited slavery.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
They’ve been stigmatized as unkempt or unprofessional, banned in schools and workplaces through discriminatory policies that the CROWN Act was created to dismantle.
—Jailynn Tayor, Essence, 21 Oct. 2025
The protections also would have applied only to same-sex couples who had registered their partnerships outside Hong Kong, a provision that advocacy groups criticized as discriminatory.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
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Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
Three years later, in 2023, the task force produced a 1,060-page report that catalogued California’s discriminatory treatment of Black people after its 1850 admission as a state that officially prohibited slavery.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
They’ve been stigmatized as unkempt or unprofessional, banned in schools and workplaces through discriminatory policies that the CROWN Act was created to dismantle.
—Jailynn Tayor, Essence, 21 Oct. 2025
The protections also would have applied only to same-sex couples who had registered their partnerships outside Hong Kong, a provision that advocacy groups criticized as discriminatory.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discriminatory
Cite this Entry
“Discriminatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discriminatory. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
discriminatory
adjective
dis·crim·i·na·to·ry
dis-ˈkrim-(ə-)nə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
: showing discrimination : being unfair
discriminatory treatment
Legal Definition
discriminatory
adjective
dis·crim·i·na·to·ry
dis-ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌtōr-ē
1
: applying discrimination in treatment
2
: having unlawful discrimination as an effect
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