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
Synonyms
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
His conviction and sentence have been upheld on appeal in state and federal court, though in 2021 a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the sentence, finding his trial attorney’s work during the sentencing phase of Pye’s trial was deficient and prejudicial.
—
Dakin Andone, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors blast Trump's effort to further delay his criminal hush money trial
Defense lawyers have attempted to prevent Daniels from serving as a witness at trial by arguing her testimony would be salacious and prejudicial to the jury.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024
At a pretrial hearing, Mr. Majors’s defense argued that the submission would be prejudicial to their client, and the judge agreed.
—Melena Ryzik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Gentry’s lawyers said the recordings are overly prejudicial and only serve to elicit a visceral reaction from the jury, adding that jurors will hear witness testimony about how the shooting unfolded and Kidwell’s cause of death.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024
Trial outfits are standard for folks who go before a jury, because it’s considered prejudicial for jurors to see a defendant in a jail jumpsuit and chains.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024
The brief remark came as the trial broke for lunch — shortly after prosecutors interrupted a line of questioning barred by pretrial motion under Section 402 of California’s evidence code, which excludes prejudicial evidence.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024
The reasons for this are many, though much of it comes down to the prejudicial treatment of women of childbearing age, who are often sidelined or passed over for promotions in favor of their male counterparts.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024
Negroponte’s lawyers in the appeal argued that certain statements from the expert were prejudicial because credibility was at the core of the case.
—Dan Morse, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
Dakin Andone, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors blast Trump's effort to further delay his criminal hush money trial
Defense lawyers have attempted to prevent Daniels from serving as a witness at trial by arguing her testimony would be salacious and prejudicial to the jury.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024
At a pretrial hearing, Mr. Majors’s defense argued that the submission would be prejudicial to their client, and the judge agreed.
—Melena Ryzik, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Gentry’s lawyers said the recordings are overly prejudicial and only serve to elicit a visceral reaction from the jury, adding that jurors will hear witness testimony about how the shooting unfolded and Kidwell’s cause of death.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024
Trial outfits are standard for folks who go before a jury, because it’s considered prejudicial for jurors to see a defendant in a jail jumpsuit and chains.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024
The brief remark came as the trial broke for lunch — shortly after prosecutors interrupted a line of questioning barred by pretrial motion under Section 402 of California’s evidence code, which excludes prejudicial evidence.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024
The reasons for this are many, though much of it comes down to the prejudicial treatment of women of childbearing age, who are often sidelined or passed over for promotions in favor of their male counterparts.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024
Negroponte’s lawyers in the appeal argued that certain statements from the expert were prejudicial because credibility was at the core of the case.
—Dan Morse, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prejudicial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prejudicial
Cite this Entry
“Prejudicial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prejudicial. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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