discriminate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To treat a person or group unfairly because of their race, sex, age, or other quality.

   It is illegal to discriminate against workers because of their age.

2. 2
   verb

   To recognize or notice the difference between things.

   A good wine taster can discriminate between very similar flavours.

First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin discrīminātus, perfect passive participle of discrīminō (“to divide, separate, distinguish”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from discrīmen (“a space between, division, separation, distinction”), from discernō (“to divide, separate, distinguish, discern”).

Topics