PREJUDICE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does prejudice mean? 

• PREJUDICE (noun)
  The noun PREJUDICE has 1 sense:

1. a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation

  Familiarity information: PREJUDICE used as a noun is very rare.

• PREJUDICE (verb)
  The verb PREJUDICE has 2 senses:

1. disadvantage by prejudice

2. influence (somebody's) opinion in advance

  Familiarity information: PREJUDICE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PREJUDICE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

bias; preconception; prejudice

Hypernyms ("prejudice" is a kind of...):

partiality; partisanship (an inclination to favor one group or view or opinion over alternatives)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "prejudice"):

taboo; tabu (a prejudice (especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands) that prohibits the use or mention of something because of its sacred nature)

irrational hostility (extreme prejudice)

experimenter bias ((psychology) bias introduced by an experimenter whose expectations about the outcome of the experiment can be subtly communicated to the participants in the experiment)

homophobia (prejudice against (fear or dislike of) homosexual people and homosexuality)

Islamophobia (prejudice against Muslims)

racism (the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races)

tendentiousness (an intentional and controversial bias)

Derivation:

prejudice (influence (somebody's) opinion in advance)

prejudice (disadvantage by prejudice)

prejudicial; prejudicious (tending to favor preconceived ideas)

• PREJUDICE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they prejudice    ... he / she / it prejudices   
Past simple: prejudiced   
Past participle: prejudiced   
-ing form: prejudicing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Disadvantage by prejudice

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "prejudice" is one way to...):

disadvantage; disfavor; disfavour (put at a disadvantage; hinder, harm)

Domain category:

justice (judgment involved in the determination of rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

prejudice (a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Influence (somebody's) opinion in advance

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

prejudice; prepossess

Hypernyms (to "prejudice" is one way to...):

act upon; influence; work (have and exert influence or effect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prejudice"):

bias; predetermine (cause to be biased)

bias (influence in an unfair way)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

prejudice (a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation)

 Context examples 

I had a feeling that she wished me away: that she did not understand me or my circumstances; that she was prejudiced against me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Her prejudices, I trust, are not so strong as they were.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

My love for Mr. and Mrs. Weston gives me a decided prejudice in his favour.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

They are kind—they are the most excellent creatures in the world; but, unfortunately, they are prejudiced against me.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The prejudice of early youth, you know.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

And never allow yourself to be blinded by prejudice?

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

He stepped over and sat down beside me, and went on:—You are clever man, friend John; you reason well, and your wit is bold; but you are too prejudiced.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

How can you reconcile it to your conscience, I wonder, to prejudice my own boy against me, or against anybody who is dear to me?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But unfortunately Demi's most unconquerable prejudice was against going to bed, and that night he decided to go on a rampage.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It was more than a mere prejudice or dislike.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)