Meaning

(uncountable, countable) Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with the intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions..

Definitions by Sense

1. (uncountable, countable) Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with the intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions.
2. (uncountable, countable, sometimes with "against") Differential treatment of an individual or group to their disadvantage; treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality; prejudice; bigotry.
3. (uncountable) The quality of being discriminating; acute discernment, especially in matters of good taste.
4. (countable, obsolete) That which discriminates; a distinguishing mark, a characteristic.

Example Sentences

Have you felt the weight of the considerations which have been presented, in order to show the importance of discrimination on the subject of revealed truth?

An earthquake here rolls harmless through the land, And Thou art good because the chimneys stand— There templed cities sink into the sea, And damp survivors, howling as they flee, Skip to the hills and hold a celebration In honor of Thy wise discrimination.

In place of a discrimination box a jumping apparatus was used, and apparently this required performance less foreign to the natural response repertory of the bird.

The 'pretraining' for the two-choice discrimination involved a discrimination between angles differing by 19° (6° versus 25°) in which the smaller angle was marked with a 2 cm Plexiglas square that the bats had previously detected in a simple one-choice discrimination.

sexual or racial discrimination

reverse discrimination

The state, in the exercise of its general power to prescribe rules of evidence, may provide that proof of a particular fact, or of several facts taken collectively, shall be prima facie evidence of another fact when there is some rational connection between the fact proved and the ultimate fact presumed. The legislative presumption is invalid when it is entirely arbitrary, or creates an invidious discrimination, or operates to deprive a party of a reasonable opportunity to present the pertinent facts in his defense.

The same arguments, however, which have effectually in this State [Rhode Island] maintained the disfranchisement of naturalized citizens, may prevail in those cases in which the State Constitution makes the discrimination against colored persons, as long as those State Constitutions remain in force.

Word Forms

• discriminations

Synonyms for discrimination

Related Words

When Should You Use Discrimination?

Use discrimination when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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