prejudice

[ prej-uh-dis ]
/ ˈprɛdʒ ə dɪs /

noun

an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding an ethnic, racial, social, or religious group.
such attitudes considered collectively: The war against prejudice is never-ending.
damage or injury; detriment: a law that operated to the prejudice of the majority.

verb (used with object), prej·u·diced, prej·u·dic·ing.

to affect with a prejudice, either favorable or unfavorable: His honesty and sincerity prejudiced us in his favor.

Idioms for prejudice

    without prejudice, Law. without dismissing, damaging, or otherwise affecting a legal interest or demand.

Origin of prejudice

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin praejūdicium prejudgment, orig. preliminary or previous judicial inquiry, equivalent to prae- pre- + jūdicium legal proceedings, judging ( jūdic-, stem of jūdex judge + -ium -ium)

synonym study for prejudice

2. See bias.

OTHER WORDS FROM prejudice

prej·u·diced·ly, adverb prej·u·dice·less, adjective non·prej·u·diced, adjective qua·si-prej·u·diced, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH prejudice

prejudiced prejudicial

Example sentences from the Web for prejudice

British Dictionary definitions for prejudice

prejudice
/ (ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs) /

noun

verb (tr)

to cause to be prejudiced
to disadvantage or injure by prejudice

Word Origin for prejudice

C13: from Old French préjudice, from Latin praejūdicium a preceding judgment, disadvantage, from prae before + jūdicium trial, sentence, from jūdex a judge

Cultural definitions for prejudice

prejudice

A hostile opinion about some person or class of persons. Prejudice is socially learned and is usually grounded in misconception, misunderstanding, and inflexible generalizations. In particular, African-Americans have been victims of prejudice on a variety of social, economic, and political levels. (See civil rights movement and segregation.)