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
Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the murder convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk’s improper comments to jurors, prejudicial evidence and failures at trial.
—
Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
To have air traffic controllers or the Transportation Security Administration to go without pay is insane and prejudicial to public safety.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Weinstein’s earlier rape conviction in New York was overturned by the state’s highest court on the grounds that prosecutors were allowed to introduce prejudicial testimony from women who claimed they were assaulted, but whose allegations were not charged.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
She is made superior simply by being a researcher, impartial observer, who must see without the prejudicial lens of her own culture and experience.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prejudicial
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.
Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
To have air traffic controllers or the Transportation Security Administration to go without pay is insane and prejudicial to public safety.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Weinstein’s earlier rape conviction in New York was overturned by the state’s highest court on the grounds that prosecutors were allowed to introduce prejudicial testimony from women who claimed they were assaulted, but whose allegations were not charged.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
She is made superior simply by being a researcher, impartial observer, who must see without the prejudicial lens of her own culture and experience.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prejudicial
Cite this Entry
“Prejudicial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prejudicial. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
