discriminate
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Latin discriminatus, past participle of discriminare (“to divide, separate, distinguish”), from discrimen (“a space between, division, separation, distinction”), from discerno (“to divide, separate, distinguish, discern”); see discern, discreet, discrete. Compare crime.
[edit] Verb
discriminate (third-person singular simple present discriminates, present participle discriminating, simple past and past participle discriminated)
- (intransitive) To make distinctions.
- Since he was colorblind he was unable to discriminate between the blue and green bottles.
- (intransitive, construed with against) To make decisions based on prejudice.
- The law prohibits discriminating against people based on their skin color.
[edit] Usage notes
Due to the strong pejorative connotations of sense of “decide based on prejudice”, care should be taken in using the term in the sense “distinguish, make distinctions”, and this sense is primarily used in formal discourse; synonyms are generally used instead.
[edit] Synonyms
(make distinctions):
[edit] Derived terms
Terms derived from discriminate
[edit] Related terms
Terms etymologically related to discriminate
[edit] Translations
to distinguish
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to make decisions based on prejudice
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[edit] External links
- discriminate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- discriminate in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
[edit] Italian
[edit] Verb
discriminate
- second-person plural present indicative of discriminare
- second-person plural imperative of discriminare
- Feminine plural of discriminato
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Latin
[edit] Verb
discrīmināte
- second-person plural present active imperative of discrīminō
