Meaning & use
discriminating
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Able to tell good quality from poor quality and so choosing carefully; showing refined judgment or taste.
Grammar: Often placed before a noun: a discriminating buyer. It can be modified with very or more.
Patterns
- a discriminating something
The shop caters to discriminating collectors who know exactly what they want.
She has a discriminating palate and can taste the difference between two vintages.
Discriminating readers will notice how carefully the plot is built.
adjectivecomparableformal
Able to notice small differences between things that are similar.
Grammar: Describes an ability or an instrument, as in a discriminating ear or test.
Patterns
- a discriminating something
Bats have a remarkably discriminating sense of hearing.
A discriminating test is needed to separate the two strains of the virus.
Word forms
| comparative | more discriminating |
|---|---|
| superlative | most discriminating |
Common combinations
- discriminating taste
- The restaurant is aimed at people with discriminating taste.
- discriminating customer
- Discriminating customers often ask where the ingredients come from.
- discriminating eye
- A discriminating eye can spot a forgery quickly.
- discriminating reader
- The author wrote for the discriminating reader rather than the mass market.
- discriminating buyer
- A discriminating buyer checks every seam before paying.
Synonyms and how they differ
- discerning
- Discerning is nearly identical but stresses insight and good judgment, while discriminating more often focuses on being selective about quality.
- selective
- Selective only says that someone chooses carefully and carries no suggestion of refined taste.
- fussy
- Fussy is informal and disapproving, implying someone is hard to please over small things, whereas discriminating is a compliment.
- refined
- Refined describes polished taste or manners in general, not the careful act of choosing.
Opposites
Word family
- discriminate verb
- to see a difference, or to treat people unfairly
- discrimination noun
- unfair treatment, or the ability to judge differences
- discriminatory adjective
- treating people unfairly because of a group they belong to
- indiscriminate adjective
- done without careful choice
Commonly confused: discriminating or discriminatory?
discriminating vs discriminatory
Discriminatory describes unfair treatment of people and is negative, while discriminating describes good judgment and is positive.
Practice
Which sentence uses discriminating in its usual, complimentary sense?
Choose one answer.
Discriminating praises careful, informed choice. The other options describe unfair treatment, for which the word is discriminatory.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “discriminating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.