ENGLISH
REFERENCE

discriminate

v.
US //dɪsˈkɹɪməˌneɪt// UK //dɪskɹˈɪmɪnˌeɪt// dis·crim·i·nate
  1. 1 to have good taste (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Literary

    to be able to judge what is high quality or good.

    to exercise nice or refined perception; to be discerning in matters of taste or quality.

    Example

    A discriminating buyer can easily see the quality of this handmade leather.

    Example

    The gallery caters to a clientele that can discriminate between mass-produced prints and genuine fine art photography.

    Usage

    Often appears as the present participle 'discriminating' used as an adjective.
Origin

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”).

Word family

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