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prejudice
/ˈprɛdʒ.ə.dɪs/
preconceived opinion
She has a prejudice against people from rural areas.
She unfairly judges people from rural areas before knowing them.
formal
An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling formed without enough thought or knowledge
The company was accused of prejudice in its hiring practices.
The company was accused of unfairly favoring certain groups when hiring.
It's important to challenge your own prejudices.
It's important to question your own unfair assumptions about others.
Prejudice can be positive or negative but is always based on insufficient information. Often used in discussions about discrimination.
formal
To influence someone unfairly in advance
His judgment was prejudiced by his personal experiences.
His personal experiences unfairly influenced his decision-making.
Used as a verb, often in passive constructions.
Collocations
racial prejudiceprejudice based on racegender prejudiceprejudice based on genderovercome prejudiceto successfully deal with unfair attitudesdeep-seated prejudicea prejudice that is firmly established and difficult to change
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistake
Don't confuse 'prejudice' with 'discrimination'. Prejudice is an attitude, while discrimination is the action that results from prejudice.
Gold Rule
Usage Context
Use 'prejudice' when referring to unfair attitudes or opinions formed without proper knowledge. It's more about thoughts than actions.
Avoiding Prejudice
Recognize that everyone has some prejudices. The key is to actively challenge them through education and exposure to diverse experiences.
Word Origin
From Latin 'praeiudicium' (pre-judgment), combining 'prae-' (before) + 'iudicium' (judgment). Entered English in the 14th century with legal origins, later developing social connotations.
Usage Notes
Prejudice is often unconscious and may conflict with a person's stated beliefs. It's important to distinguish between prejudice (attitude) and discrimination (action). The word carries a negative connotation in most contexts.
Word Breakdown
pre-
before
prefixjudice
judgment
rootEnglish Dictionary