discrimination
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
treating a person or group unfairly because of who they are, such as their race, gender, or religion.
the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.
Simple“The company was accused of discrimination because they refused to hire older workers.”
In context“The landmark legislation was designed to eliminate systemic discrimination in the housing market, ensuring equal access for all citizens regardless of their background.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the ability to see or understand the difference between two or more things.
the cognitive process of distinguishing between different stimuli or recognizing fine details.
Simple“A young child's discrimination between different colors develops quickly.”
In context“The experiment tested the subjects' auditory discrimination by asking them to identify subtle variations in pitch and tone.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
the ability to judge what is high quality or has good style.
the quality of being discerning; acute judgment, especially in matters of aesthetics or social conduct.
Simple“She showed great discrimination in choosing only the finest materials for her home.”
In context“The collector was renowned for his discrimination, rarely purchasing a piece that did not meet his exacting standards for historical authenticity.”
Synonyms
“It bans discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs that receive federal funding.”
“Political debate routinely treats the “white working class” as a uniquely left-behind constituency, even though black and other minority-ethnic working-class people face the same pressures, often compounded by racial discrimination.”
Learned borrowing from Latin discrīminātiō, discrīminātiōnem, the action noun to discrīminō, discrīmināre (“distinguish”). Equivalent to discriminate + -ion. In English use from the 17th century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.