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prejudiced
/ˈprɛdʒədɪst/
having unfair opinions
The judge was removed from the case because she was prejudiced against the defendant's background.
The judge was disqualified due to unfairly negative opinions about the defendant's social group.
neutral
having or showing an unreasonable dislike or distrust of a particular group, especially based on race, religion, or gender
Many laws were created to prevent prejudiced hiring practices in the workplace.
Many laws aim to stop unfair hiring based on personal biases.
She realized her prejudiced views were shaped by the stereotypes she grew up with.
She acknowledged that her unfair opinions originated from the biases she was exposed to as a child.
Often used with 'against' (prejudiced against someone/something).
Collocations
prejudiced againsthaving unfair opinions aboutdeeply prejudicedvery unfair in opinions
Pro Tip
Avoiding 'prejudiced' vs 'prejudicial'
'Prejudiced' describes a person's mindset (e.g., 'a prejudiced judge'), while 'prejudicial' describes an action or thing that causes harm or bias (e.g., 'prejudicial evidence').
Gold Rule
Context matters
Use 'prejudiced' for people's attitudes, not neutral preferences. For example, 'prejudiced against immigrants' (negative) vs 'preferring tea over coffee' (neutral).
Word Origin
From Middle English 'prejudicat' (Latin 'praejudicatus', past participle of 'praejudicare' meaning 'to judge beforehand'), combining 'prae-' (before) and 'judicare' (to judge).
Usage Notes
Describes attitudes or actions, not the act of discrimination itself. Often implies irrational or unjustified negativity toward a group.
Word Breakdown
pre-
before
prefixjudice
judgment
root-ed
having the quality of
suffixEnglish Dictionary