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Meaning of prejudice in English:

prejudice

Pronunciation /ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs/

Translate prejudice into Spanish

noun

mass noun

  • 1Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

    ‘English prejudice against foreigners’
    • ‘deep-rooted class prejudices’
    • ‘Some prejudices (preconceived opinions of an individual based on opinions about the many) have names such as racism, sexism, or ageism.’
    • ‘Preconceived notions are prejudices about what is supposed to happen during the ritual, or the way in which the ritual must be done.’
    • ‘As a straight woman with my own prejudices and preconceptions, I fall somewhere in between.’
    • ‘Such prejudices are the necessary base of defensive positions which might threaten our own sexual identity.’
    • ‘It's not a bunch of theory I've cooked up based on my own prejudices.’
    • ‘This views a disabled person as limited more by society's prejudices than by the actual disability.’
    • ‘Every paper has its opinions and its prejudices; these are what one usually thinks of as the paper's distinctive voice.’
    • ‘Each of us observes the world and the people with whom we come in contact through a lens refracted by our own upbringing, experiences and prejudices.’
    • ‘Another point of view may help to clarify thinking and offset preconceived notions or prejudices.’
    • ‘In this way, preconceptions and prejudices are held at bay.’
    • ‘We all bring to a film our own storehouse of experiences, impressions, prejudices.’
    • ‘We put up protective walls made of opinions, prejudices and strategies, barriers that are built on a deep fear of being hurt.’
    • ‘Governments tend to impose the opinions and prejudices of the majority.’
    • ‘These flow from the interaction between people's experiences and the prejudices of the society they live in.’
    • ‘They usually reveal more about the pollsters' prejudices than the public's opinions.’
    preconceived idea, preconception, preconceived notion
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1Dislike, hostility, or unjust behaviour deriving from preconceived and unfounded opinions.
      ‘accusations of racial prejudice’
      • ‘Enable children to think more critically about prejudice and discriminatory behaviour.’
      • ‘The community continues to fall victim to bigotry and prejudice on a regular basis.’
      • ‘In its worse days it provides the basis for prejudice, discrimination, violence.’
      • ‘Thus, the isolation of groups in segregated communities is largely a product of previous prejudice and discrimination in housing.’
      • ‘He is taking the cast through the trial scene in To Kill a Mocking Bird, Harper Lee's classic story of racial prejudice in the American south.’
      • ‘We were met with great prejudice and hostility in the workplace and often had to settle for lower-paid, part-time and freelance contracts - none of which came with a pension.’
      • ‘That is, I begin with the assumption that human nature is originally good, and try to explain how and why racial prejudice and discrimination are nevertheless customary.’
      • ‘Again, I think the absolute basis of all prejudice is ignorance and generalization.’
      • ‘Publicans, like everyone else in society, need to look at their own prejudice, bias and behaviours.’
      • ‘It is one of the most misunderstood conditions in society, leaving sufferers facing prejudice on a daily basis.’
      • ‘However, their lives were marred by poverty and misfortune due in large part to discrimination and prejudice.’
      • ‘Slurs, prejudice, and institutionalized discrimination were commonplace back then.’
      • ‘Religious or racial prejudice and xenophobia are not likely to go away as long as human nature is what it is.’
      • ‘Where none of these conditions hold, the scripture must be taken literally, and not rejected on the basis of mere prejudice.’
      • ‘The objectives of Harmony Day, which are particularly poignant at this point in time, relate to racism, intolerance and prejudice.’
      bigotry, bias, partisanship, partiality, intolerance, discrimination, a jaundiced eye, preference, one-sidedness, unfairness, inequality, inequity
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  • 2Law
    Harm or injury that results or may result from some action or judgement.

    ‘prejudice resulting from delay in the institution of the proceedings’
    • ‘In that respect, we do not consider that any prejudice in fact resulted.’
    • ‘In the circumstances, it is necessary to assess whether the delay has caused irremediable prejudice to the defendant.’
    • ‘The Inspector failed to set out adequate reasons for his decision, as a result of which the Claimant has suffered substantial prejudice.’
    • ‘If the terms are causing significant prejudice in conjunction with the delay, an accused should apply to vary those conditions.’
    • ‘In the present case, I see no irreparable harm or prejudice that cannot be compensated for by costs.’
    detriment, harm, disadvantage, damage, injury, hurt, impairment, loss
    View synonyms

verb

[with object]

  • 1Give rise to prejudice in (someone); make biased.

    ‘the statement might prejudice the jury’
    • ‘There are very many legal things I can think of that would prejudice me against a person more than smoking.’
    • ‘The smell of antiseptic and the fear of injections prejudiced me against him then, but he was the most important person in our village.’
    bias, influence, sway, predispose, make biased, make partial, make partisan, colour, poison, jaundice, warp, twist, slant, distort
    View synonyms

  • 2Law
    Cause harm to (a state of affairs)

    ‘delay is likely to prejudice the child's welfare’
    • ‘We do not believe this extension would prejudice the state in any way in light of the Florida Supreme Court's opinion.’
    • ‘But I believe that routine disclosure of any Category A reports would be likely to prejudice the purpose of preventing or detecting crime.’
    • ‘It is little bit hard to see how a guarantor is prejudiced by having a 10-year obligation reduced to some shorter obligation.’
    • ‘The Defendants have not been prejudiced by this error.’
    • ‘The plaintiff would be greatly prejudiced by any further delay in posting the security.’
    damage, be detrimental to, be prejudicial to, be disadvantageous to, injure, harm, hurt, mar, spoil, impair, undermine, be deleterious to, hinder, compromise, drive a nail into the coffin of
    View synonyms

Phrases

    without prejudice
    Law

    • Without detriment to any existing right or claim.

      ‘the payment was made without any prejudice to her rights’
      • ‘He is to stress that any acceptance by us of the keys is without prejudice to the dilapidations claim.’
      • ‘The motion was dismissed, on terms, without prejudice to the defendant's right to renew the motion at trial.’
      • ‘The order included a provision that it was without prejudice to the right of the defendants to add her name if they so chose.’
      • ‘This discharge is in addition to and without prejudice to any other discharge given to the Trustees.’
      • ‘This procedure is without prejudice to the Supervising Officer's responsibility under the building contract.’
    with prejudice
    Law

    • Extinguishing any right to pursue a claim in another suit.

      ‘the suit was dismissed with prejudice’
      • ‘In case of the class-action suit, following the deal with the Commision, all claims were dismissed with prejudice on 12 June.’
      • ‘This determination obviously put it in good stead because the company's lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice.’
      • ‘That lawsuit, which Henning intended as a class action, was dismissed twice, the second time with prejudice, for failing to adequately state a claim.’
      • ‘However, as it did nothing to either entertain or offend me, I am dismissing this case with prejudice.’

Origin

Middle English (in prejudice (sense 2 of the noun)): from Old French, from Latin praejudicium, from prae ‘in advance’ + judicium ‘judgement’.