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
2a (1) : preconceived judgment or opinion (2) : an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledgeb : an instance of such judgment or opinionc : an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics
From the M-W Editors
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
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Under the law, a claim of prejudice against the judge must be made.
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When the few challenges do occur, however, they are promptly met with voluntary dismissals with prejudice, as in this case.
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Often violent? Steeped in the mass culture prejudices of its time?
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The motion was withdrawn with prejudice, meaning Carrey can not ask for it again.
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Some were dispatched with great fanfare, buried with rich grave goods, while others appear to have been sacrificed with extreme prejudice and mutilated after death.
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The commission recommended the City Council deny with prejudice Hall’s request to change the zoning classification on the 400-acre property that would have allowed a specific use for the concrete recycling facility.
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Porn has always been a place for indulging irrational, secret, and socially unacceptable desires — which makes it a place where people feel free to let their racial prejudices and fantasies run wild, too.
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Southern Poverty Law Center, which is generally recognized as an authority on domestic issue of prejudice and discrimination, classifies ACT for America as an extremist group.
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
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
Synonym Discussion of prejudice
Other Sociology Terms
Definition of prejudice
prejudiced
;prejudicing
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
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Cambodians have long been suspicious of their much bigger eastern neighbor, and prejudice against Vietnamese is widespread.
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Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas found that the new material doesn't substantially prejudice McMillan's ability to prepare a defense.
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Prosecutors had sought to have 13 other accusers testify in Constand's case, but the judge allowed only one, finding that more would unfairly prejudice the jury.
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Prosecutors originally wanted 13 of Cosby's other accusers to testify, but the judge allowed them to pick only one, to avoid prejudicing the jury.
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Walsh also cited a pending Superior Court motion to permanently seal the video from release and the state's attorney's view that release could prejudice the criminal cases associated with the death.
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Palestinians argue moving the embassy would prejudice one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict and undermine America's status as an effective mediator.
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Other researchers counter that Slobodchikoff’s techniques are sound and widely used and that reluctance to embrace his research owes more to prejudice than empiricism.
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By not releasing footage, potential jurors would not be prejudiced before a trial, the chief said.
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.
Origin and Etymology of prejudice
see 1prejudice
PREJUDICE Defined for English Language Learners
prejudice
playDefinition of prejudice for English Language Learners
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: an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc.
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: a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something especially when it is not reasonable or logical
prejudice
playDefinition of prejudice for English Language Learners
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: to cause (someone) to have an unfair feeling of dislike for someone or something
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: to have a harmful effect on (something, such as a legal case)
PREJUDICE Defined for Kids
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
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
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
3a : 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
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
Learn More about prejudice
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for prejudice Spanish Central: Translation of prejudice Nglish: Translation of prejudice for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prejudice for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prejudice
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