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prejudice. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
prejudice, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
prejudice in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
prejudice you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle English prejudice, from Old French prejudice, from Latin praeiūdicium (“previous judgment or damage”), from prae- (“before”) + iūdicium (“judgment”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpɹɛd͡ʒədɪs/
- Hyphenation: prej‧u‧dice
Noun
prejudice (countable and uncountable, plural prejudices)
- (countable) An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge of the facts.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he was emphatically an honest man.
- (countable) A preconception, any preconceived opinion or feeling, whether positive or negative.
- Morality is but a prejudice.
- (countable) An irrational hostile attitude, fear or hatred towards a particular group, race or religion.
I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.
- (obsolete) Knowledge formed in advance; foresight, presaging.
- (chiefly obsolete) Mischief; hurt; damage; injury; detriment.
1793, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, §20:We both of us happen’d to know, as well as the Stationer, that Riddlesden the Attorney, was a very Knave. He had half ruin’d Miss Read’s Father by drawing him in to be bound for him. By his Letter it appear’d, there was a secret Scheme on foot to the Prejudice of Hamilton, (Suppos’d to be then coming over with us,) and that Keith was concern’d in it with Riddlesden. [...]
1702, John Locke, translated by W. Popple, A Letter concerning Toleration :for no injury is thereby done to any one, no prejudice to another man's goods
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :England and France might, through their amity, / Breed him some prejudice.
a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: J G W L and W G, published 1662, →OCLC:For Pens, so usefull for Scholars to note the remarkables they read, with an impression easily deleble without prejudice to the Book.
Derived terms
Translations
irrational hostile attitude
Translations to be checked
Verb
prejudice (third-person singular simple present prejudices, present participle prejudicing, simple past and past participle prejudiced)
- (transitive) To have a negative impact on (someone's position, chances etc.).
- (transitive) To cause prejudice in; to bias the mind of.
Translations
to have a negative impact
Adjective
prejudice
- Misspelling of prejudiced.
See also
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praeiudicium.
Noun
prejudice oblique singular, f (oblique plural prejudices, nominative singular prejudice, nominative plural prejudices)
- (chiefly law) harm; damage
- (chiefly law) prejudgment; prejudice
Descendants