1
as in discriminatory
favoring, applying, or being unequal treatment of different classes of people
accused of discriminating practices in the hiring of employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
a discriminating feature of poison ivy is a compound leaf with three mitten-shaped leaflets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in differentiating
to understand or point out the difference in
the human eye can discriminate between very slight gradations of color
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of discriminating
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Turning Selectivity Into Strategy A range of more discriminating strategies have been explored, including tweaking the shape and timing of electrical pulses and using multi-contact electrodes to maneuver currents in specific directions.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025
Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 14 May 2026
Race in admissions UCLA’s medical school unlawfully used race in admissions decisions over the last three years, specifically discriminating against white and Asian American applicants, according to Department of Justice findings.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for discriminating
Adjective
Insurers, alerted to the problem and granted permission to respond, grew more discriminating in their underwriting and more probing in their investigations.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Turning Selectivity Into Strategy A range of more discriminating strategies have been explored, including tweaking the shape and timing of electrical pulses and using multi-contact electrodes to maneuver currents in specific directions.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2025
Verb
The Justice Department on Thursday accused Yale School of Medicine of discriminating based on race in its admissions, by favoring Black and Hispanic applicants over White and Asian ones.
—Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 14 May 2026
Race in admissions UCLA’s medical school unlawfully used race in admissions decisions over the last three years, specifically discriminating against white and Asian American applicants, according to Department of Justice findings.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for discriminating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discriminating
Adjective
-
Players will still be able to cover their mouths when conversing normally, but outlawing the act during disagreements is designed to remove plausible deniability for any player accused of making discriminatory remarks while their mouth is obscured.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Unfair labor practice claim In response to the store closure, the union filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), citing discriminatory treatment.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The subservient tone was characteristic of Epstein’s Norwegian network.—
Ola Morris Innset,
The Dial,
2 June 2026
-
In some of these star-forming regions, gas is organized into characteristic hub-and-spoke patterns known as Hub-Filament Systems (HFS).—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
In real life, Bright is differentiating herself with slightly longer hair.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
-
Cloud infrastructure, identity management and observability all began as differentiating features before becoming non-negotiable layers.—
David Lareau,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Legal and privacy concerns The lawsuit accuses Amazon of violating the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits deceptive and unfair business practices.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
There were those dumb America's Care Packages that bestowed special powers to popular players to give them unfair advantages.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
This isn’t to say any of these teams would have challenged eventual champion LSU; the point is that distinguishing between teams 10 and 20 for inclusion in a 16-team CFP is virtually impossible.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
The first distinguishing feature is the nature of the problem being attacked.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ginsberg first read the titular entry in Howl and Other Poems at San Francisco’s Six Gallery in 1955, and the work anthologized a year later by fellow poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti as the fourth entry in the City Lights Bookstore imprint with its distinctive slender binding and black-and-white cover.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Similar to the Michelin Guide for restaurants, Forbes’ anonymous inspectors rate and reviews luxury hotels, helping travelers discover distinctive destinations around the world.—
Drew Jackson,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The hotel also offers ultra-luxe suites, each with a distinct design theme (like Riviera and Christian Dior), and a penthouse suite with a heated rooftop pool and 360-degree views of the city, from the hills to the sea stretching across the horizon.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
There are at least two distinct categories of retirees with dependent children.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
The piña colada at the beachside bar and grill Coccoloba is a standout, but the real surprise lies in the creative drinks beyond the typical beachside cocktails.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The lightweight fabric and billowy, tiered silhouette of this dress keep it comfortable on summer days, and the square neckline gives you a little more coverage than a typical slip dress.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discriminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discriminating. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
