prejudicial
adjective
prej·u·di·cial
ˌpre-jə-ˈdi-shəl 
1
: tending to injure or impair : detrimental
a transfer prejudicial to other creditors
2
: leading to premature judgment or unwarranted opinion
prejudicial evidence
Examples of prejudicial in a Sentence
The judge ruled that the prejudicial effect of the evidence outweighed its value.
pretrial publicity that may be extremely prejudicial to a defendant's right to a fair trial
Recent Examples on the Web
But in 2020, North Carolina appellate courts ruled that the exclusion of those statements, as well as other evidentiary issues, were prejudicial and prevented Molly and Tom from receiving an effective defense.
—
Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 10 May 2025
In some cases, no one individual error is prejudicial enough to warrant relief, but when there are a number of constitutional or statutory violations, the court will conclude that the errors, cumulatively, undermine confidence in the conviction and warrant relief.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The court found these testimonies prejudicial and irrelevant to the case.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
Weinstein is being tried again after New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, last year overturned his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence and ordered a new trial, finding that improper rulings and prejudicial testimony tainted the original one.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prejudicial
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Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 10 May 2025
In some cases, no one individual error is prejudicial enough to warrant relief, but when there are a number of constitutional or statutory violations, the court will conclude that the errors, cumulatively, undermine confidence in the conviction and warrant relief.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The court found these testimonies prejudicial and irrelevant to the case.
—Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025
Weinstein is being tried again after New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, last year overturned his 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence and ordered a new trial, finding that improper rulings and prejudicial testimony tainted the original one.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prejudicial
Cite this Entry
“Prejudicial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prejudicial. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prejudicial
adjective
prej·u·di·cial
ˌprej-ə-ˈdish-əl
: tending to cause damage : detrimental
Legal Definition
prejudicial
adjective
prej·u·di·cial
ˌpre-jə-ˈdi-shəl
: having the effect of prejudice: as
a
: tending to injure or impair rights
such a transfer would be prejudicial to other creditors
b
: leading to a decision or judgment on an improper basis
the evidence was excluded because it was more prejudicial than probative
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