dis·crim·i·nate
discriminate
- pronunciation:
- dih
skrI
mih
neIt
- features:
- Word History
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
discriminated, discriminates, discriminating |
| 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
|
| derivations: |
discriminated (adj.), discriminately (adv.), discriminator (n.) |
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.