Finesentence

Discriminating Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

🔍
Save

discriminating

dis-crim-i-nat-ing

🇺🇸 /dɪsˈkɹɪməˌneɪtɪŋ/ · 🇬🇧 /dɪskɹˈɪmɪnˌeɪtɪŋ/

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

in decision making

Showing or indicating careful judgment and discernment, especially in the making of distinctions.

Synonyms

critical, discerning, judicious, selective.

Examples of usage

  • He was known for his discriminating taste in art.
  • She had a discriminating eye for detail.
Context #2 | Adjective

in behavior towards others

Making or showing an unjust or prejudicial distinction in treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.

Synonyms

biased, bigoted, prejudiced, unfair.

Examples of usage

  • He was accused of discriminating against certain employees based on their gender.
  • Discriminating behavior is not tolerated in this workplace.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Quick facts about “discriminating”

Discriminating is a 5-syllable adjective (dis-crim-i-nat-ing). It is pronounced /dɪsˈkɹɪməˌneɪtɪŋ/ in American English and /dɪskɹˈɪmɪnˌeɪtɪŋ/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 2 meanings, 8 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #11,317 among the most common English words.

Origin of 'discriminating'

The word 'discriminating' originated from the Latin word 'discriminat-' which means 'distinguished'. Over time, its meaning evolved to include both the positive aspect of showing discernment and the negative aspect of making unjust distinctions. The term has been used in various contexts throughout history, highlighting the importance of careful judgment and the negative consequences of unfair discrimination.

See also: discriminately, discrimination, discriminative, discriminator, discriminatorily, discriminatory, indiscriminateness.

Rhymes

Discriminating rhymes with eliminating and incriminating.

See all rhymes →

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,317, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.