discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

intransitive verb

1

: to unfairly treat a person or group differently from other people or groups on a class or categorical basis (such as race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation)

to illegally/unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex/race/age

… the court ruled the ID law was intended to discriminate against voters of color …

—Laura Kusisto

2

a

: to make a distinction

… depression doesn't discriminate and can affect people from all walks of life.

—Nikki Brown

b

: to use good judgment

fostering an ability to discriminate

transitive verb

1

a

: to mark or perceive the distinguishing or peculiar features of

Depth perception may be defined as the ability to appreciate or discriminate the third dimension …

—H. G. Armstrong

b

: distinguish, differentiate

discriminate hundreds of colors

2

: to recognize or identify as separate and distinct

discriminate right from wrong

especially : to distinguish from another like object

discriminate the individual voices in the choir

Did you know?

Although many methods or motives for discriminating are unfair and undesirable (or even illegal), the verb itself has a neutral history. English speakers borrowed it from the past participle of the Latin verb discriminare (meaning "to distinguish or differentiate"), which, itself, is derived from the verb discernere, meaning "to distinguish between." Discernere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix dis- (meaning "apart") and cernere ("to sift"). Other descendants of discernere include discern and discernible (as you no doubt guessed), discreet, and indiscretion. In addition, the root cernere gives us concern, certain, decree, and even secret.

Synonyms of discriminate

• differentiate
• distinguish

Examples of discriminate in a Sentence

The school is not allowed to discriminate.

the human eye can discriminate between very slight gradations of color

Recent Examples on the Web

Balochistan has endured a long-running insurgency by groups that accuse Pakistan of discriminating against the province and exploiting its natural resources. — Munir Ahmed, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026

The Justice Department said the campus’ law school illegally discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions, the latest in a series of similar federal accusations against UC schools this year. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The majority concluded that Montana’s no-aid provision discriminated against people based on their beliefs. — Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Johnson did not determine whether the NCAA’s former transgender-athlete policies discriminated against female athletes. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin discriminatus, past participle of discriminare, from discrimin-, discrimen distinction, from discernere to distinguish between — more at discern

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Rhymes for discriminate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids Definition

discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate dis-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

1

a

: to see the special features of

discriminate the geologic features of an area

b

: distinguish sense 1, differentiate

discriminate hundreds of colors

2

: to be able to tell the difference especially between similar things

discriminate between a tree and a bush

3

: to treat some people better than others without any fair or proper reason

discriminable

-ə-nə-bəl

adjective

Medical Definition

discriminate

verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate dis-ˈkrim-ə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

transitive verb

: to respond selectively to (a stimulus)

intransitive verb

: to respond selectively

the capacity of organisms to discriminate

—J. A. Swets

Legal Definition

discriminate

intransitive verb

dis·​crim·​i·​nate dis-ˈkri-mə-ˌnāt 

discriminated; discriminating

: to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit

especially : to make a difference in treatment on a basis prohibited by law (as national origin, race, sex, religion, age, or disability) see also bona fide occupational qualification, equal protection, reverse discrimination, suspect class, Civil Rights Act of 1964

discrimination

dis-ˌkri-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun