prejudice
See also: préjudice
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English prejudice, from Old French prejudice, from Latin praeiūdicium (“previous judgment or damage”), from prae- (“before”) + iūdicium (“judgment”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
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 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.
- (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.
- 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 […]
- (chiefly obsolete) Mischief; hurt; damage; injury; detriment.
- 1793, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin[1], §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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
- 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[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], 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 edit
- (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
- prejudicious
- self-prejudice
Related terms edit
Translations edit
adverse judgement formed beforehand
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any preconceived opinion
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irrational hostile attitude
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damage caused
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb edit
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.
Related terms edit
Translations edit
to have a negative impact
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to cause prejudice
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Adjective edit
prejudice
- Misspelling of prejudiced.
See also edit
Old French edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin praeiudicium.
Noun edit
prejudice oblique singular, f (oblique plural prejudices, nominative singular prejudice, nominative plural prejudices)