What does discriminate mean?
Discriminate is a verb with two principal senses. Its dominant modern meaning is to treat a person or group unjustly or prejudicially, typically on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, disability, or another protected characteristic: employers may not discriminate against older workers, for example. This sense is overwhelmingly negative and appears constantly in legal, political, and journalistic language. A second, older sense is neutral and even positive: to discriminate means to perceive fine distinctions, to exercise discernment — as when a critic discriminates between genuine artistry and mere imitation. Both senses derive from the same Latin root meaning to divide or separate, which explains how one word can describe both careful judgment and unfair exclusion. In contemporary usage, the neutral sense usually requires "between" or "among" to be clear, while the pejorative sense pairs with "against". Related forms carry the two connotations separately: "discriminating" suggests refined taste, "discriminatory" suggests prejudice.
verbTo recognize a distinction between things; to differentiate. In its most prominent modern sense, to treat a person or group unfairly or prejudicially, especially on the basis of characteristics such as race, sex, age, or disability.
- To treat a person or group unfairly or prejudicially, especially on grounds such as race, sex, age, religion, or disability.
- To recognize or make a distinction; to perceive differences clearly (often followed by "between" or "from").
"The law prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants on the basis of age."
"It is illegal to discriminate against employees because of their religious beliefs."
"A trained sommelier can discriminate between subtle variations in aroma that most of us would miss entirely."
The same word that once praised someone's refined taste — "a discriminating palate" — is now most often heard in courtrooms and headlines about injustice.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discriminate
Discriminate comes from the Latin verb discriminare, meaning to separate or distinguish, formed from discrimen, a dividing point or distinction, which derives from discerno, to separate or discern. It entered English in the early 17th century, first carrying the neutral sense of perceiving distinctions. The sense of treating people unfairly developed later and became dominant over time. The word shares its Latin ancestry with cognates such as discern, discreet, discrete, and discrimination.
Related word forms
How discriminate is actually used
The negative social sense is now dominant in everyday usage and typically takes "against" plus the group affected. The neutral perceptual sense survives chiefly in formal or technical contexts and usually takes "between" or "among". As an adjective, "discriminating" is positive (showing good judgment), whereas "discriminatory" is negative (involving unfair treatment) — context determines which connotation applies.
Easily confused with discriminate
"Differentiate" neutrally means to perceive or establish a difference, while "discriminate" carries an added sense of careful judgment — and in social contexts strongly implies unfair treatment.