prejudice 1 of 2

Definition of prejudicenext

prejudice

2 of 2

verb

as in to bias
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge all the bad stories I had heard about the incoming CEO prejudiced me against him even before the first meeting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun prejudice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prejudice are bias, predilection, and prepossession. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

When would bias be a good substitute for prejudice?

The synonyms bias and prejudice are sometimes interchangeable, but bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

When is predilection a more appropriate choice than prejudice?

The words predilection and prejudice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

In what contexts can prepossession take the place of prejudice?

The meanings of prepossession and prejudice largely overlap; however, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

How does the noun prejudice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prejudice are bias, predilection, and prepossession. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

When would bias be a good substitute for prejudice?

The synonyms bias and prejudice are sometimes interchangeable, but bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

When is predilection a more appropriate choice than prejudice?

The words predilection and prejudice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

In what contexts can prepossession take the place of prejudice?

The meanings of prepossession and prejudice largely overlap; however, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

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 prejudice
Noun
The court dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning X cannot refile the same claim. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026 Clarke also dismissed the $29-million lawsuit, which arose from a ferocious dispute among the sibling heirs to an Oregon winery fortune, with prejudice, so it can’t be refiled. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
For their part, Berman and Bryant have a reason to be prejudiced against trees, but Berman doesn’t hold a grudge after a tree crushed one of their cars on Bryant’s birthday nine years ago. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026 The appellate court found that consolidating the cases prejudiced the jury. Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prejudice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prejudice
Noun
  • The lawsuit against a Coca-Cola distributor signals a historic shift for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces federal law on workplace bias.
    Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Worryingly, the researchers found the models had a tendency to find evidence of pathologies in the phantom images, showing that the models may have a bias towards diagnosing disease that could lead to dangerous and expensive misdiagnoses if used in real-world medical settings.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • While racism’s roots run deep in America and many factors contribute to it, Florida’s Republican leaders have spent the last eight years helping stoke the fires.
    Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Vampires emerge not as mere monsters but as spectral embodiments of racism’s unending drain on Black life in the South, a haunting metaphor for generational trauma.
    Essence, Essence, 3 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The Times of India found workers in Chirag Dilli, the city’s dumpling-making capital, so stretched for fuel that some had given up on steaming and had turned operations over to chow mein.
    Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • That combination can turn a small spark into a fast-moving fire.
    Joe Ruch, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Another heart highlighted the lasting impacts from the redlining of Troost Avenue a century ago, which long served as a dividing line of racial segregation in Kansas City.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The law was originally enacted to help undo discriminatory Jim Crow racial segregation and protect the voting rights of Black people.
    Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prejudice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prejudice. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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