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
In addition, the judge was right to exclude from evidence Motsinger’s 1970s-era LSD and marijuana use as irrelevant, prejudicial and improper character evidence, the Motsinger attorneys further state.
—
City News Service, Daily News, 31 May 2026
Musk’s lawyers argued that such sentiments were blatantly prejudicial.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
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.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
In 2022, however, the Georgia Supreme Court tossed out the murder verdict (PDF), saying that prosecutors had introduced needlessly inflammatory and prejudicial material about Harris’ personal life at his trial.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prejudicial
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City News Service, Daily News, 31 May 2026
Musk’s lawyers argued that such sentiments were blatantly prejudicial.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
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.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
In 2022, however, the Georgia Supreme Court tossed out the murder verdict (PDF), saying that prosecutors had introduced needlessly inflammatory and prejudicial material about Harris’ personal life at his trial.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 14 May 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 4 Jun. 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
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