Word
discriminate
Phoneticsdis·crim·i·nate, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪsˈkɹɪməˌneɪt/
UK/dɪskɹˈɪmɪnˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to treat unfairly
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law
v. to treat a person or group worse than others because of their race, gender, or age.
v. to treat a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, sex, sexuality, etc.
“It is illegal to discriminate against workers because of their age.”
“The company was accused of failing to promote qualified candidates, leading to allegations that they discriminate against minority groups in their hiring practices.”
Usage
Intransitive when meaning unfair treatment; requires the preposition 'against' before the victim.
Pitfall
The law protects people who are discriminated their religion.
The law protects people who are discriminated against for their religion.
When you mean treating someone unfairly, you must use the preposition 'against' after the verb.
02to see a difference
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to see or understand the difference between two things.
v. to recognise or identify a difference between two or more things; to perceive a distinction.
“A professional taster can discriminate between different types of coffee easily.”
“Newborn infants are surprisingly capable of discriminating between their mother's voice and the voices of strangers within just a few days of birth.”
Usage
Often used with 'between' or 'from'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“A judge ruled the policy illegally discriminated on the basis of nationality.” “It sets no limit on tariff rates and lets the president discriminate among exporting countries.” Etymology
First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin discrīminātus, perfect passive participle of discrīminō (“to divide, separate, distinguish”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from discrīmen (“a space between, division, separation, distinction”), from discernō (“to divide, separate, distinguish, discern”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/discriminate