prejudice

English

Alternative forms

• præjudice (obsolete)
• p͛judice (abbreviation, obsolete)

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/

• Audio (US)

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• Hyphenation: prej‧u‧dice

Noun

prejudice (countable and uncountable, plural prejudices)

1. (countable) An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge of the facts.
   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 7, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (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.

2. (countable) A preconception, any preconceived opinion or feeling, whether positive or negative.

   Morality is but a prejudice.

3. (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.

4. (obsolete) Knowledge formed in advance; foresight, presaging.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     […] the first did in the forepart sit, / That nought mote hinder his quicke preiudize: / He had a sharpe foresight, and working wit […]

5. (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

• (law) with prejudice – precluding subsequent action
• (law) without prejudice – without affecting a legal interest
• in prejudice of – to the detriment or injury of
• to the prejudice of – with resulting harm to
• with extreme prejudice – with lethal force
  • terminate with extreme prejudice
• prejudicious
• self-prejudice

Related terms

• misprejudiced
• prejudge
• prejudicate

Translations

Verb

prejudice (third-person singular simple present prejudices, present participle prejudicing, simple past and past participle prejudiced)

1. (transitive) To have a negative impact on (someone's position, chances etc.).
2. (transitive) To cause prejudice in; to bias the mind of.

Related terms

• prejudge
• prejudiced

Translations

Adjective

prejudice

1. Misspelling of prejudiced.

See also

• bias
• discrimination
• hatred
• racism
• stereotype

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praeiudicium.

Noun

prejudice oblique singular, f (oblique plural prejudices, nominative singular prejudice, nominative plural prejudices)

1. (chiefly law) harm; damage
2. (chiefly law) prejudgment; prejudice

Descendants

• English: prejudice
• French: préjudice