discriminate
verb/dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/
/dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they discriminate | /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/ /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt/ |
| he / she / it discriminates | /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪts/ /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪts/ |
| past simple discriminated | /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪd/ /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪd/ |
| past participle discriminated | /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪd/ /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form discriminating | /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪŋ/ /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to recognize that there is a difference between people or things; to show a difference between people or things synonym differentiate, distinguish
- discriminate (between A and B) The computer program was unable to discriminate between letters and numbers.
- discriminate something When do babies learn to discriminate voices?
- discriminate A from B A number of features discriminate this species from others.
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- [intransitive] to treat one person or group worse/better than another in an unfair way
- discriminate (against somebody) | discriminate (in favour of somebody) practices that discriminate against women and in favour of men
- discriminate on the grounds of something It is illegal to discriminate on the grounds of race, gender or religion.
Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesc2- He claims he was racially discriminated against when he applied for the job.
- The present law discriminates unfairly against women.
- They discriminate positively in favour of workers from disadvantaged groups.
- Workers must avoid discriminating on the grounds of race or sex.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- positively
- actively
- unfairly
- …
- against
- in favour/favor of
- on (the) grounds of
- …
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Latin discriminat- ‘distinguished between’, from the verb discriminare, from discrimen ‘distinction’, from the verb discernere, from dis- ‘apart’ + cernere ‘to separate’.
Check pronunciation:
discriminate