Added 9 October 2026
discriminate
/dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt/ verb
Latin root: discrīminātus First recorded: 1615 Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about discriminate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Recognize or perceive the difference.
- Treat differently on the basis of sex or race.
-
Distinguish.
I could not discriminate the different tastes in this complicated dish
adjective
Origin
First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin discrīminātus, perfect passive participle of discrīminō (“to divide, separate, distinguish”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from discrīmen (“a space between, division, separation, distinction”), from discernō (“to divide, separate, distinguish, discern”). By surface analysis, dis- + criminate.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)