prejudice

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noun prej·u·dice \ ˈpre-jə-dəs \

Definition of prejudice

1 :injury or damage resulting from some judgment or action of another in disregard of one's rights; especially :detriment to one's legal rights or claims

2 a (1) :preconceived judgment or opinion

(2) :an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge

b :an instance of such judgment or opinion

c :an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics

See prejudice defined for English-language learners

See prejudice defined for kids

Examples of prejudice in a Sentence

But today most black Americans not hampered by poverty or prejudice take for granted their right to study Italian, listen to Britney Spears or opera, play in the NHL, eat Thai food, live anywhere, work anywhere, play anywhere, read and think and say anything. —Stephan Talty, Mulatto America, 2003
It is easy to suppose at this late date that there is barely any overt racism left in the United States, … Kennedy's catalog of mundane cases of explicit anti-black prejudice provides ample illustration of what lurks beneath the surface politeness of many whites. —John McWhorter, New Republic, 14 Jan. 2002
The boundaries between hate and prejudice and between prejudice and opinion and between opinion and truth are so complicated and blurred that any attempt to construct legal and political fire walls is a doomed and illiberal venture. —Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Magazine, 26 Sept. 1999
When my mother, who, unlike my father, was Jewish, encountered unpleasant social prejudice during my high-school years, I acquired a second marginal identity. —Carl E. Schorske, Thinking with History, 1998
The organization fights against racial prejudice.
religious, racial, and sexual prejudices
We tend to make these kinds of decisions according to our own prejudices.
He has a prejudice against fast-food restaurants.

Recent Examples of prejudice from the Web

The palpable hate and prejudice have sparked my need to march, contact my legislative representatives, and join political action organizations.

— jillian kramer, SELF, "11 Change-Makers Share How They Deal With Activism Fatigue," 28 Aug. 2017
An order dismissing the case without prejudice on Thursday was not immediately available.

— hannah leone, Aurora Beacon-News, "Dental records may help identify body found in Aurora garage," 21 Aug. 2017
In 1943, the United States War Department released a 17-minute, anti-Nazi propaganda film warning against complicity in the face of prejudice.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "WWII Anti-Fascist Film Goes Viral After Charlottesville," 14 Aug. 2017
But suffused within its folds are many thrilling and heartbreaking moments, and the book as a whole is a window into not just the heart of India, but also the elemental nature of prejudice and class struggle anywhere in the world.

— james norton, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Ants Among Elephants' offers a window into the complexities of India," 24 July 2017
These children grow up in a world in which their lives are getting longer, but society's values -- and our prejudices -- are slow to change.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Graffiti describes love dashed by deceit: What's your take?," 20 July 2017
Liberalism, progressivism, and socialism all shared a number of tenets and prejudices in common with the Soviets, the Maoists, and the Khmer Rouge.

— dan mclaughlin, National Review, "Anti-Radical Muslims Need to Organize and Draw Lines," 20 July 2017
Under the law, a claim of prejudice against the judge must be made.

— megan crepeau, chicagotribune.com, "Prosecutor in alleged cover-up of Laquan McDonald shooting moves for new judge," 13 July 2017
When the few challenges do occur, however, they are promptly met with voluntary dismissals with prejudice, as in this case.

— joe mullin, Ars Technica, "Super-litigious patent holder ordered to pay defendant’s legal fees," 7 July 2017

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

Prejudice: For or Against?

Although prejudice, with its connotations of intolerance , implies a negative bias, the word can be used in positive constructions:

I, too, appreciate projects that treat a difficult subject with rigor, although I'll confess to harboring a bit of prejudice toward thing-biographies.
Adam Baer, Harper's, May 2011

That's true for the participial adjective prejudiced as well:

“The question itself as posed in the survey obviously is prejudiced in favor of the program,” said Tod Story, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada.
Neal Morton, Las Vegas Review Journal, 2 Aug. 2016

In negative constructions, prejudice and prejudiced often precede against:

Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker on Tuesday ruled that claims of juror misconduct by former House Speaker Mike Hubbard failed to show that the jury was prejudiced against Hubbard.
Mike Cason, AL.com, 19 Oct. 2016

Origin and Etymology of prejudice

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praejudicium previous judgment, damage, from prae- + judicium judgment — more at judicial

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

prejudice Synonyms

Synonyms

favor, nonobjectivity, one-sidedness, partiality, parti pris, partisanship, ply, bias, tendentiousness

Antonyms

impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, open-mindedness, unbiasedness

Related Words

chauvinism, cronyism, favoritism, nepotism; self-opinionatedness, self-partiality; bent, inclination, leaning, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency; preconception, prejudgment, prepossession

Near Antonyms

calm, detachment, dispassion, indifference; aversion, dislike, distaste, hate, scunner

Synonym Discussion of prejudice

predilection, prepossession, prejudice, bias mean an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something. predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

- a predilection for travel

prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

- a prepossession against technology

prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

- a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

- a strong bias toward the plaintiff

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

prejudice

play

verb prej·u·dice \ ˈpre-jə-dəs \

Definition of prejudice

prejudiced; prejudicing

transitive verb

1 :to injure or damage by some judgment or action (as in a case of law)

2 :to cause to have prejudice

See prejudice defined for English-language learners

Examples of prejudice in a Sentence

Paul Revere … engraved the drawing and printed hundreds of vividly colored copies, which traveled throughout the colonies. Well might one judge at Captain Preston's trial complain that "there has been a great deal done to prejudice the People against the Prisoner." —Hiller B. Zobel, American Heritage, July/August 1995
My friends would have had me delay my departure, but fearful of prejudicing my employers against me by such want of punctuality at the commencement of my undertaking, I persisted in keeping the appointment. —Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847
all the bad stories I had heard about the incoming CEO prejudiced me against him even before the first meeting

Recent Examples of prejudice from the Web

But Trump, who has repeatedly said he is not prejudiced, has been equivocal in his public or private statements against white nationalists and other racist organizations.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Analysis: Trump gives white supremacists an unequivocal boost," 16 Aug. 2017
But a new study complicates the narrative that only unintelligent people are prejudiced.

— olga khazan, The Atlantic, "How Intelligence Leads to Stereotyping," 29 July 2017
The Human Library originated in Denmark and is an opportunity for people to connect and overcome stereotypes and prejudice through personal stories.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Made your eclipse plans yet? Here are suggestions, plus more August fun.," 28 July 2017
Exposure to mascotization has also been shown to encourage discrimination and prejudice toward Native Americans by those of other races.

— jacqueline pata, Time, "The NFL Needs to Stop Promoting a Racial Slur," 26 July 2017
There is a substantial risk that without a trial preference, Miss de Havilland will be prejudiced in not obtaining the benefits of the litigation.

— yohana desta, vanityfair.com, "Olivia de Havilland, 101, Is Speeding Up Her Lawsuit Against Ryan Murphy," 26 July 2017
There is a substantial risk that without a trial preference, Miss de Havilland will be prejudiced in not obtaining the benefits of the litigation.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Olivia de Havilland, 101, Is Speeding Up Her Lawsuit Against Ryan Murphy," 26 July 2017
Cambodians have long been suspicious of their much bigger eastern neighbor, and prejudice against Vietnamese is widespread.

— sopheng cheang, The Seattle Times, "Khmer Rouge leaders deliver closing defense at trial," 23 June 2017
Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas found that the new material doesn't substantially prejudice McMillan's ability to prepare a defense.

— ruth ann krause, Post-Tribune, "Trial of Gary man charged in infant son's death to begin Monday," 22 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of prejudice

see ¹prejudice

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

prejudice Synonyms

Synonyms

bias, poison, turn

Related Words

dispose, incline, predispose; influence, prepossess; convince, persuade, suggest

PREJUDICE Defined for English Language Learners

prejudice

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noun

Definition of prejudice for English Language Learners

: an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc.
: a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something especially when it is not reasonable or logical

prejudice

play

verb

Definition of prejudice for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to have an unfair feeling of dislike for someone or something
: to have a harmful effect on (something, such as a legal case)

PREJUDICE Defined for Kids

prejudice

play

noun prej·u·dice \ ˈpre-jə-dəs \

Definition of prejudice for Students

1 :a liking or dislike for one rather than another especially without good reason

She has a prejudice against department stores.

2 :a feeling of unfair dislike directed against an individual or a group because of some characteristic (as race or religion)

3 :injury or damage to a person's rights

prejudice

verb

Definition of prejudice for Students

prejudiced; prejudicing

1 :to cause to have an unfair dislike of

The incident prejudiced them against the company.

2 :to cause damage to (as a person's rights)

Newspaper stories prejudiced the upcoming trial.

Law Dictionary

prejudice

play

noun prej·u·dice \ ˈpre-jə-dəs \

legal Definition of prejudice

1 :injury or detriment to one's legal rights or claims (as from the action of another): as

a :substantial impairment of a defendant's ability to defend

the court found no prejudice to the defendant by the lengthy delay in bringing charges

b :tendency for a decision on an improper basis (as past conduct) by a trier of fact

whether an ex parte communication to a deliberating jury resulted in any reasonable possibility of prejudice to the defendant
—National Law Journal

c :implied waiver of rights and privileges not explicitly retained

District Court erred in attaching prejudice to prisoner's complaint for injunctive relief
—National Law Journal

2 :a final and binding decision (as an adjudication on the merits) that bars further prosecution of the same cause of action or motion

dismisses this case with prejudice

the dismissal was without prejudice

3 a :an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics

the Constitution does not prohibit laws based on prejudice per se
—R. H. Bork

b :an attitude or disposition (as of a judge) that prevents impartiality

that the judge before whom the matter is pending has a personal bias or prejudice…against him
—U.S. Code

Origin and Etymology of prejudice

Old French, from Latin praejudicium previous judgment, damage, from prae- before + judicium judgment

prejudice

transitive verb

legal Definition of prejudice

prejudiced; prejudicing

1 :to injure or damage the rights of by some legal action or prejudice

if the joinder of offenses or defendants…appears to prejudice a defendant or the government
—Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 14

2 :to injure or damage (rights) by some legal action or prejudice

that the denial prejudiced his right to a fair trial

this clause does not prejudice other rights

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Prejudice: For or Against?

Origin and Etymology of prejudice

prejudice Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of prejudice

Other Sociology Terms

prejudice

Definition of prejudice

Examples of prejudice in a Sentence

Recent Examples of prejudice from the Web

Origin and Etymology of prejudice

prejudice Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

PREJUDICE Defined for English Language Learners

prejudice

Definition of prejudice for English Language Learners

prejudice

Definition of prejudice for English Language Learners

PREJUDICE Defined for Kids

prejudice

Definition of prejudice for Students

prejudice

Definition of prejudice for Students

Law Dictionary

prejudice

legal Definition of prejudice

Origin and Etymology of prejudice

prejudice

legal Definition of prejudice

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