prejudice
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of their race, sex, or religion.
n.an irrational hostile attitude or preconceived negative judgment directed toward a particular group, race, or religion.
Simple“The company was accused of prejudice against older workers during the hiring process.”
In context“Deep-seated racial prejudice within the local administration prevented the community from accessing the resources they had been promised.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.an opinion you form about something before you have enough information.
n.a preconceived opinion or feeling, whether positive or negative, formed without prior knowledge or experience.
Simple“I had a prejudice against the city before I visited, but I actually loved it.”
In context“The researcher struggled to set aside her personal prejudices to ensure the study remained objective and data-driven.”
SynonymspreconceptionbiasAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to make someone form an unfair opinion about something.
v.to influence someone's opinion so that they may be less able to judge fairly.
Simple“The news reports might prejudice the jury before the trial even begins.”
In context“The judge warned the media that excessive coverage could prejudice the outcome of the trial by influencing potential jurors.”
UsageThe verb is transitive and always takes a direct object, often a person or a group's mind.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to do something that has a bad effect on a situation or a person's chances.
v.to cause damage or injury to a person's rights, interests, or legal standing.
Simple“Missing the deadline could prejudice your chances of getting the loan.”
In context“The witness's refusal to testify did not prejudice the defendant's right to a fair hearing under the current statutes.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'without prejudice', meaning without affecting existing rights.
“Then the Civil War upended the family’s life, first by reviving antisemitic prejudices and then, eventually, by destroying the family’s business.”
“Baroness Hallett ordered that testimony from senior government officials had to be heard behind closed doors so as not to prejudice an ongoing criminal investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).”
From Middle English prejudice, from Old French prejudice, derived from Latin praeiūdicium (“previous judgment or damage”), from prae- (“before”) + iūdicium (“judgment”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.