Meaning & use
prejudice
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
An unfair opinion formed beforehand about a person or group, not based on reason or real experience.
Grammar: Countable for a specific bias: a prejudice against; uncountable for the general attitude: without prejudice.
Patterns
- prejudice against someone
- a prejudice about something
- without prejudice
The report found prejudice against older applicants in hiring.
Travel helped him challenge his own prejudice.
Judge the evidence without prejudice.
noununcountableformallegal
Harm or disadvantage to a right, claim, or legal position, as in formal phrase without prejudice to.
Grammar: Mainly in fixed legal or formal phrases: to the prejudice of; without prejudice to.
Patterns
- without prejudice to
- to the prejudice of
The settlement was agreed without prejudice to future claims.
The clause protects workers to the prejudice of no lawful right.
She signed without prejudice to her pension.
verbtransitive
To influence someone unfairly beforehand, or to cause harm or disadvantage.
Grammar: Takes an object: prejudice a jury; prejudice a claim; often passive in legal writing.
Patterns
- prejudice someone against
- prejudice a case
- be prejudiced
False reports may prejudice voters against the candidate.
Publicity could prejudice the trial.
The error prejudiced their right to appeal.
Word forms
| plural | prejudices |
|---|---|
| third person singular | prejudices |
| past tense | prejudiced |
| past participle | prejudiced |
| -ing form | prejudicing |
Common combinations
- prejudice against
- There was clear prejudice against foreign accents.
- racial prejudice
- The law aims to reduce racial prejudice.
- without prejudice
- They discussed terms without prejudice to later action.
- challenge prejudice
- Education can challenge prejudice early.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bias
- Bias is broader and can be mild or statistical; prejudice is stronger, unfair, and preconceived.
- bigotry
- Bigotry is stubborn intolerance, stronger and more active than prejudice.
- discrimination
- Discrimination is unfair action based on prejudice, while prejudice is the attitude or belief.
Opposites
Word family
- prejudiced adjective
- Holding an unfair preconceived opinion.
- prejudicial adjective
- Likely to cause harm or unfair disadvantage.
Commonly confused: prejudice or prejudice?
prejudice vs prejudice
Prejudice is a biased belief; discrimination is unfair behavior that can result from it.
Practice
Which sentence shows prejudice rather than discrimination?
Choose one answer.
Prejudice is a preconceived belief, so option 2 fits. The other options describe actions or treatment, which are discrimination.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prejudice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.