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discriminate

dis·crim·i·nate

discriminate

 
 
pronunciation:
dih skrI mih neIt
features:
Word Combinations (verb), Word History
part of speech: verb
inflections: discriminates, discriminating, discriminated
definition 1: to judge or treat someone unfairly because he or she belongs to a particular group or category of people (usually followed by "against").
Some people discriminate against immigrants.
definition 2: to see a clear difference; make a distinction.
He could not discriminate between the two brands of cola.
synonyms:
distinguish
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: discriminated (adj.), discriminately (adv.), discriminator (n.)
Word History
Discriminate comes from a Latin word that means "to divide, separate, or distinquish." It was first used for the separation of people of different colors or races in the mid-1800s.