Prejudice — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈpre-jə-dəs/ prej·u·dice

Meaning & Definition of Prejudice

Prejudice (noun)

  1. an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics
  2. an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge
  3. preconceived judgment or opinion

Prejudice (verb)

  1. to cause to have prejudice
  2. to injure or damage by some judgment or action (as in a case of law)

Prejudice (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an attitude that always favors one way of feeling or acting especially without considering any other possibilities

    "her lifelong prejudice against doing dirty jobs"

    similar: bias, favor, nonobjectivity, one-sidedness, parti pris, partiality, partisanship, ply, tendentiousness
    related: chauvinism, cronyism, favoritism, nepotism, self-opinionatedness, self-partiality, bent, inclination, leaning, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, preconception, prejudgment, prepossession
    opposite: impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, open-mindedness, unbiasedness
    near: calm, detachment, dispassion, indifference, aversion, dislike, distaste, hate, scunner

  2. hatred of or discrimination against a person or persons based on their race

    "fought racial prejudice through the use of the court system"

    similar: racialism, racism
    related: race-baiting, apartheid, Jim Crow, segregation, separatism, bigotry, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, narrowness
    near: antidiscrimination, antiracism, antisegregation, assimilationism

Prejudice (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge

    "all the bad stories I had heard about the incoming CEO prejudiced me against him even before the first meeting"

    similar: bias, poison, turn
    related: dispose, incline, predispose, influence, prepossess, convince, persuade, suggest

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Prejudice

The most common words with a similar meaning to Prejudice:

bias, favor, nonobjectivity, one-sidedness, parti pris, partiality, partisanship, ply, tendentiousness, racialism, racism, poison, turn

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Prejudice

Words with the opposite meaning of Prejudice:

impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, open-mindedness, unbiasedness

Related Words for Prejudice

chauvinism, cronyism, favoritism, nepotism, self-opinionatedness, self-partiality, bent, inclination, leaning, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, preconception, prejudgment, prepossession, race-baiting, apartheid, Jim Crow, segregation, separatism, bigotry, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, narrowness, dispose, incline, predispose

Near Antonyms of Prejudice

calm, detachment, dispassion, indifference, aversion, dislike, distaste, hate, scunner, antidiscrimination, antiracism, antisegregation, assimilationism

Word Forms of Prejudice

Inflections: prejudiced, prejudicing

Origin & Etymology of Prejudice

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praejudicium previous judgment, damage, from prae- + judicium judgment judicial

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Prejudice

Frequently Asked Questions about Prejudice

What does "Prejudice" mean?

"Prejudice" means an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Prejudice"?

Other words for "Prejudice" include bias, favor, nonobjectivity, one-sidedness, parti pris, partiality, partisanship and ply. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Prejudice" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Prejudice"?

There are 48 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Prejudice". Common alternatives include bias, favor, nonobjectivity, one-sidedness, parti pris, partiality, partisanship, ply, tendentiousness and racialism.

What is the opposite of "Prejudice"?

Antonyms of "Prejudice" include impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, open-mindedness and unbiasedness. Near antonyms include calm, detachment, dispassion and indifference.

How do you use "Prejudice" in a sentence?

Examples of "Prejudice" in a sentence: "her lifelong prejudice against doing dirty jobs"; "fought racial prejudice through the use of the court system"; "all the bad stories I had heard about the incoming CEO prejudiced me against him even before the first meeting".

Is "Prejudice" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Prejudice" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Prejudice" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Prejudice" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Prejudice"?

"Prejudice" is pronounced /ˈpre-jə-dəs/ and divided into syllables as prej·u·dice.